Journey to the East
by GrnEydDvl
Summary: Karin's been sent on a quest to find a weapon, a treasure, and a fiancé. She'll gather traveling companions and have wild adventures, but will she find what she's looking for or will it find her? Kurosaki Karin and Hitsugaya Toushiro HitsuKarin AU
1. A Fateful Letter

**I'm back guys! It's been absolutely forever, but the story bug finally bit me again, so here I am. I've missed you all a lot. It feels good to be back.**

**This new story is going to be a little different than a typical HitsuKarin, so I hope you're up for it. Most importantly I think is that I've messed with the characters ages a lot, but I hope I'll make it clear how old everybody is to reduce confusion. I also am going to mix characters who aren't usually mixed together in this one, just because I thought it would be fun to write with a different cast of characters than I usually do. I'll give you a heads up right now, that I also gave some of the characters OOC traits, again because I thought it would be fun to play with some different habits. The essence of the characters shouldn't change though, so I hope you find them acceptable. Of course, Hitsugaya and Karin will still be Hitsugaya and Karin, so have no fear on that point.**

**My AU: It's feudal Japan (because I just can't write a Bleach fic that isn't in Japan), but there's nothing spectacular about it. No magic or anything. Just samurai roaming the streets and everyone in kimono's type of Japan. Shogun era.**

**And yes, "Journey to the East" is a play on the famous epic, "Journey to the West." Maybe this title is a bit presumptuous, but I want to capture the fact that this story is about the journey and the adventure.**

**Without further ado, please enjoy my new story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. I only own my own characters and ideas.**

Prologue

_To my dearest, darlingest daughter Karin,_

_ As your father I am so proud that you have reached your sixteenth birthday. Finally you are a true woman. It pains me beyond measure that I cannot be with you to celebrate this joyous occasion, but you know the daimyo, he can be quite demanding at times when work piles up. But I hope you will hold this letter close to your heart until I can hold you in my arms again._

_ My precious child, you have finally reached an age where staying in Karakura, small town as it is, is no longer conducive to a proper education. I have taught you many things, but you know little of the world in which you live. Therefore, it is time, my muffin-love, that you set out on a journey. You have exactly one year in which to travel. You are free to use that time as you wish, but in return, you must bring back three things: a weapon more powerful than lightning, a treasure more valuable than gold, and the man who will be your partner for the rest of your days. Please bring Hanatarou with you, as well as any money and provisions you feel you may require. Good luck and happy travels._

_ Lots of love and kisses! _

_XOXOXOXOXO_

_Daddy _

The letter was subsequently burned, but Karin's fate was sealed.

oooooooooooooooooooo

Anyone with any good sense in them would be inside on a night like this. The worst storm of the summer was showing no signs of relenting. Droplets as large as chestnuts rained down from the heavens with a force that could kill a small animal. A crazed wind howled, threatening to blow the roof off every house in the city. The tiles on the poorly kept buildings were certainly clinking more than usual. Several trees had already succumbed. The streets had been reduced to nothing more than muddy rivers, hiding the worn cobblestones underneath the filth. All the fires and lanterns had been extinguished, and that, coupled with the wall of water present on this pitch black evening, made it difficult to see anything outside of a two foot radius. In this deadly storm, a solitary figure ran through the streets.

The brave soul in question was a boy, no older than twelve, with that awkward, shrunken look that boys his age develop as their bodies attempt puberty while their minds desperately try to keep up. His inky hair was plastered to the back of his neck, saving it from its usual state of mild unkemptness. The wind picked up and he pulled his rain soaked kimono closer to him as he increased his pace slightly, desperate to be out of the storm. He tried not to think about his wet feet, and how mud and who knows what else had saturated his tabi socks and sandals. He raced past row after row of dilapidated tea houses and bars, the sound of drunken laughter and high pitched samisens just barely audible through the rain. His stomach rumbled as the smell of fish and pickled vegetables from one particular house mingled with the usual scent of trash, damp straw, and sake. The only saving grace was that the storm had appeared to have scared off even the bravest of bandits; the various teams of thugs and pickpockets that typically prowled these streets seemed to have called it a night and instead sought refuge in a bottle of sake or the arms of a cheap whore.

At long last, the boy reached his destination; a particularly woebegone bar at the end of a narrow alley. Grateful for the opportunity to finally be out of the rain, the boy took a deep breath and entered. His ears were suddenly accosted by the raucous laughter of drunken men and the off key song of one particularly scruffy man as he bellowed his heart out to the jeers and hollers of his fellow bacchanalians. The boy wrung the water out of his hair as best he could, then headed towards the bar, ignoring the disgruntled glare of the barman as he trailed a puddle of water across the floor. He sat down next to a person buried in a long black traveling cloak with the hood pulled up firmly, obscuring the wearer's face.

"I finally managed to get us a room," the boy told the traveling cloak. "It wasn't easy in this storm, every inn was completely full, but I found one…oi, how much have drank?" he asked, gesturing to the empty sake bottles littering the table. The cloak shrugged.

"I dunno. I lost count after ten or eleven." The boy heaved a deep sigh.

"Look, I know better than anyone that you can hold your alcohol, but you really should think about your health a little. Your father put me in charge of your wellbeing…"

"You really think that man cares? He put sake in my baby bottle." The hood fell off revealing a young woman with raven colored hair and eyes that burned with an intense fire that said quite clearly, "Don't mess with me." She could have been attractive if she had bothered, but the unruly state of her hair and the fresh cut on her forehead were clear indications that appearance was the last thing this woman cared about. Her nose wasn't exactly straight, evidence of being broken more than once, and her usually pale cheeks were flushed a rich, apple color, courtesy of the sake she had been pounding for the last few hours. She picked up the bottle in front of her and took a swig.

"Besides," she continued, wiping her mouth with the back of her sleeve, "it's his fault I'm in this creepy town in the middle of nowhere, so I highly doubt he cares what happens to me while I'm here. And since when have you had anything to do with my wellbeing Nezumi-chan?" The boy sighed.

"I do wish you would stop calling me that, Ojosama," he pleaded. The girl smirked playfully.

"I'll call you Hanataro when you grow a backbone. Or when you drop the 'ojosama' crap and start calling me Karin. Whichever comes first." Hanataro blushed.

"I couldn't possibly…"

"Then it's Nezumi-chan. 'Kay?" Hanataro sighed again. They sat in silence for a while as Karin sipped her sake.

"Oi," Karin called to the bartender, "can I have another?"

"You're going to drink _more_?" Hanataro moaned, but Karin ignored him.

"Hey, nee-chan," said an overgrown goat of a man with hairy, sausage-like arms. "Let me get that for ya'." The loss of Karin's hood had revealed to the clientele that the traveler who had been drinking them all to shame for the last few hours was in fact, the only woman present. This had led to a rather rapid gathering of the intoxicated buffoons who had formed a semicircle around Karin and Hanataro, preventing them from leaving.

"No thanks," Karin replied nonchalantly. "You're not exactly my type." The man's face turned a deep shade of magenta.

"Why you little brat. I've got half a mind to teach ya' a lesson fer turnin' me down." He cracked his knuckled menacingly. Hanataro's eyes darted nervously from one man to the next as ten men slowly began to close the gap. Karin yawned.

"Ano, Ojosama…" Hanatarou began anxiously, but Karin brushed him off and rested her chin on her hand.

"I'm not in the mood tonight," she replied, fiddling lazily with an empty bottle of sake. "Nezumi-chan, you take care of them." Hanataro looked startled.

"Me? But…" He trailed off as it became clear that Karin had no intention of budging. He took one more look at the gang that was nearly upon them and sighed. He hopped of his seat and turned to face the crowd, several of whom were reaching for the swords at their hips.

"If you back down right now, I won't have to hurt you," Hanataro said, trying and failing to sound braver than he looked. The gorillas exchanged glances, then began to guffaw heartily.

"Oh really," one managed to eke out between chuckles. "And just what is a runt like you going to…" But he never finished his sentence. In the blink of an eye, all ten men collapsed to the ground simultaneously, with hair-thin needles sticking out of their necks. The bar fell silent. You could have heard a pin drop.

"Don't worry," Hanataro reassured the bar. "They're not dead. Just asleep." He turned to tug on Karin's sleeve.

"Ojosama, I think we should get out of here."

"Fine," Karin complied reluctantly. She placed several coins on the table in front of the flabbergasted bartender and followed Hanataro out into the monsoon.

Within seconds they were soaked to the skin.

"How long did you walk around in this?" Karin asked, stunned by the intensity of the gale. "You're going to be so sick tomorrow."

"I should be ok," Hanataro replied. "It's really warm despite the rain." They began to run, eager to reach the inn. They turned a corner onto what they thought was another deserted street and Hanataro barreled headfirst into a man twice the size of the one who had just offered to buy Karin's drink. He and six companions were just leaving a teahouse, and the smell of sake on their clothes was enough to make even Karin gag.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" the man sneered, looking from Hanataro to Karin. "Never imagined we'd be so lucky. Hey guys, check out tonight's prey. Some sickly kid and gal, all alone on this dark street. Whaddya say, wanna give us some cash, or would you rather have a bit of fun first?" Hanataro balked, and slowly began to reach inside his kimono for his needles, but Karin stopped him.

"It's my turn," she stated with authority. Hanataro scrambled out of the way, leaving Karin surrounded by a group of bullies over twice her size. She tossed back her traveling cloak to reveal twin katanas strapped firmly to her left hip. She placed an unflinching hand on either hilt and readied herself to attack.

"Oh my, what pretty swords you've got there nee-san," the man jeered. "Now if only you knew how to use them." A broad smirk slowly spread across Karin's face.

"Who said I don't?" she threatened, and before the man had time to defend himself, Karin had drawn her blades and rendered him unconscious.

"Why you!" another man cried, descending on her with anger. Their swords met once before he too was laid bare. Karin swiftly took two more out with simultaneous hard jabs to the stomachs with the hilts, then swung around and dealt a finishing blow to the back of the neck of the next man with the flat of the blade. The remaining two blubbered like babies, and turned heel and ran under Karin's deadly glare. Karin sheathed her katanas with a satisfied clink.

"Let's go Nezumi-chan," she called. "I'm getting wet."

**Yes, Hanataro gets to be bad-a** in this fic. I know it's totally OOC for him, but in a way I think it kind of fits. It's an entirely non-violent style of fighting, which I think fits his personality quite well. He's still a nervous, awkward, scrawny kid, so he really hasn't changed all that much.**

**I promise we'll meet Hitsugaya in the next chapter. This was just kind of a set up, meet Karin and Hanataro type of chapter. I know Karin drinks a lot, and this will be Karin's OOC trait, but a Karin who fights with twin swords and can hold her liquor feels to me like a grown up version of the Karin we all know and love, so I still feel like it's her soul.**

**Nezumi means "mouse" in Japanese, which is a nickname that Karin gave Hanatarou because she thinks he's weak and likes to tease him.**

**Ojosama means "young mistress" and is a formal term of respect for a young woman. I use it to indicate the fact that Hanataro is kind of like a servant/underling for Karin, which I will explain more in the next chapter.**

**Please let me know what you think as I know this story is a bit different. Thanks guys :) **


	2. You'll Do

**Wow, thanks guys for all the awesome reviews! It makes me feel so happy to know that people out there still read my stuff. I'm really glad I'm writing again. Thanks for not forgetting me while I was away :)**

**This chapter has a little more backstory in it, and the next should have even more, so I'm going to try to clear up any of the confusion there may have been with what's going on. Enjoy!**

Karin was not feeling well the next morning.

"I told you you shouldn't drink so much," Hanataro scolded gently. "Why do you never listen to me?"

"Shut up will you," Karin groaned. "My ears are ringing. Why did you have to choose the loudest restaurant in town for breakfast?" They were sitting in an open air café, eating rice and steamed fish, but Karin hadn't done more than poke her fish with her chopsticks. Hanataro continued to eat in silence, not wanting to bother Karin when she had a hangover. It was a rare occurrence, to be sure, but when it did happen, she was known to be spontaneous and irrational. At least, more so than usual.

The rain from the night before had dried up, but it had done nothing to dissipate the heat, which was unrelenting, despite the fact that it was already late summer. It hadn't cleaned up the town at all either. It was the same scum pit it had been the day before, but the water and heat had combined to create a general smell of rot that seemed to settle over everything.

"It's unusual for sake to make you so sick," Hanataro observed.

"It's the heat. I'd be fine if I wasn't sweating so much. You got anything for headaches?" Hanataro grinned, then reached into his bag and pulled out two pills. Karin swallowed them gratefully.

"Thanks."

"Ano, Ojosama?" Hanataro began nervously.

"Hmm?"

"I was just wondering, but are you feeling all right?"

"Of course I'm not!" Karin snapped. "I've got a throbbing headache."

"No no, that's not what I meant," Hanataro said defensively. "I mean, last night, you didn't fight those men at the bar. I thought the only reason you drank in places like that was because you get a thrill out of bar fights." Karin sighed.

"I didn't feel like paying the repair fee," Karin said blandly, looking away. "We're going to be tight on funds as it is and I always damage furniture when I fight inside." Hanataro did not give up.

"Ojosama, I've been serving your family since I could walk, and, excuse me for saying so, but I have a pretty decent grasp of your moods. I think I know what's bothering you." Karin raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

"You're bored. We've been traveling for almost half a year and we've done nothing but head from town to town picking fights in bars." Karin chuckled.

"I guess it's not too different from what I did back home. Training and drinking." Hanataro sighed.

"Ojosama, maybe it's time you thought about why you are on this journey…" Karin slammed her fist on the table knocking over her tea cup and causing Hanataro to jump about a foot in the air.

"Oh give it a rest already!" she snarled. "Why do you have to bring that up every single day? I'm sick of hearing about it. You want to know why I'm on journey? I'll tell you why. It's because that stupid father of mine has this bizarre twisted idea in his head that traveling all over Japan will somehow make me a better man."

"I don't think your father has confused your gender to that extent, Ojosama," Hanataro countered timidly. Karin laughed derisively.

"Well he's certainly put up a good front. I mean, come on. What father trains his daughter to fight with duel swords anyway? What father dresses his daughter in men's clothing? What father kicks his daughter out of the house on the pretext of it being a learning experience? What the heck was he thinking?"

"I thought you liked living that way?" Hanataro asked startled. Karin smirked.

"I know. I do. Heck, I'd much rather fight in my men's clothing then serve tea dressed up like one of those perfect China dolls. But seriously, what was the man thinking?" Hanataro smiled.

"He cares about you." Karin scoffed.

"I'm sure he does," she replied sarcastically. "Where the heck am I supposed to find a weapon more powerful than lightning? What does that even mean? Although it might be fun to have. And a treasure more valuable than gold? Does he want me to raid the royal palace or something? And don't even get me started on the third one. I think the whole purpose of this trip was because he was too scared to find me a match in any normal way."

"I'm just worried," Hanataro continued. "It's almost time to start heading back east if we want to make it home by your birthday, and you haven't even begun to try to find any of the things you were sent to find…"

"Fine, you want me to find one of them!" Karin barked, getting to her feet. "I'll find one of them." Karin scanned the restaurant. She glanced over two wizened old men sipping tea, a group of scrawny teenagers, a pretty young woman in a pink yukata, and the guy who had been singing his lungs out in the bar the night before, when her eyes finally landed on a young man sitting in the corner. He looked to be about twenty, with hair as white as snow and emerald green eyes that reminded Karin of dew on fresh grass. He had a forbidden, worldly look about him, as if he had experienced much more than anyone his age should have. His black kimono was frayed slightly at the edges, and over his shoulder hung a long katana with a piece of string tying the hilt firmly to the sheath. A book lay on the table in front of him, and he was lazily skimming the pages.

Before Hanataro could stop her, Karin had left the table, strode across the room, and planted herself right in front of the young man's table. She appraised him carefully, as if examining a piece of art. The artwork in question completely ignored her and focused on his book instead. Karin nodded.

"Yes," she decided. "You'll do. Would you be my fiancé for 500 rho?" Across the room, Hanataro's jaw dropped. The young man raised his eyes to look at her.

"Pardon?"

"Like I said, I'll give you 500 rho if you come home with me and present yourself to my father as my fiancé. You can have half now, half when we get there. Of course, you don't actually have to go through with the wedding, just the meet and greet part. Whadaya say?" The young man considered her for a moment, then silently returned to his book and nonchalantly turned the page.

"Ojosama!" Hanataro exclaimed, having finally found his voice. He tripped over several chairs and his own feet in his desperation to reach her side. "What are you doing? You can't just ask some stranger in this foreign town to travel all the way back to Karakura with you!"

"Why not?" Karin asked. "Isn't that exactly what oyaji wanted? 'A weapon more powerful than lightning, a treasure more valuable than gold, and the man who will be your partner for the rest of your days.' You've been bugging me to start working on finding those things, so I'm working on it. Look, I've found him. The man who will be my partner for the rest of my days. Or at least, for as long as I can convince oyaji that he is."

"But," Hanataro objected, "you're supposed to find a man who you actually want to marry!" Karin snorted.

"If that man exists in this world, then I'll eat my swords. Do you really think I'm the marrying type?" Hanataro couldn't argue that point, but he couldn't give in just yet.

"Karakura will take us at least six months to reach. You think this man will follow us all the way there?"

"For 500 rho he might," Karin said slyly.

"Ojosama, that's almost all of the money we have left! We need that to get home!"

"Details," Karin brushed him off. "We'll get money somehow. I can work as a bodyguard or something." Hanataro groaned.

"Ojosama!" he whined.

"Sounds interesting." Karin and Hanataro stopped their argument and looked over at the man, who had closed his book and was eyeing them with interest. "I'll do it."

"Then it's decided!" Karin declared, ignoring Hanataro's blubbering protests. "The name's Karin. Kurosaki Karin. And this here's Nezumi-chan." Hanataro was too busy being stunned to protest the nickname.

"I'm…Hitsugaya," the man introduced himself. "Hitsugaya Toushiro."

"Well," Karin asserted, "now that that's done, let's get out of this town. You got a horse Toushiro?" Hitsugaya nodded. "Then let's go!" Looking much better than she had a few minutes ago, Karin waltzed out of the restaurant with her head held high.

"Don't worry kid," Hitsugaya reassured Hanataro, who was still too shocked to move. "I don't have designs on your girl or anything. I just want the money. I'm not going to hurt either of you."

"That's…well…um…the thing is…um…" Hanataro stuttered. He was having extreme difficulty wrapping his mind around the current situation. Karin, who was now a good distance away, turned her head back over her shoulder and called,

"Hey, you guys coming or what?" Hitsugaya smirked.

"Let's go kid," he said. "It seems we have a long trip ahead of us." He picked up his book and followed Karin out, leaving Hanataro to ponder just what the heck Karin had gotten herself into.

**I've never done a HitsuKarin meeting like this before, and I was kind of excited to write it. I hope you liked reading it.**

**Note: Rhos were the currency at the time, and since I want to try to make this semi-authentic, I'm having Karin offer him rhos rather than yen. I think 500 was quite a lot, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.**


	3. The First Night

**Ok, so apparently I completely screwed up the rho thing. First of all, it's spelled ryo and they were used in the Meiji era, but since I want this fic to be pre-Meiji, I should have used something else, like koku or koban or something. But I've started with it, so I'll finish with it to avoid confusion. So the currency in this fic is rho and 500 is a very large amount. That's the best I can do for now.**

**There's a bit more Hitsugaya in this chapter than there was in the last, for those of you who were missing him :)**

Karin certainly was in a better mood as the party of three saddled their horses and headed out of the seedy town into the sprawling grasslands. The sky had cleared up and it was a gorgeous afternoon, despite the fact that the brutal sun beat down on their heads, requiring them to stop frequently for water breaks. The air carried the gentle scent of late summer and the soft wind played with their hair, providing a welcome reprieve from the heat.

As night began to fall, they set up camp in a small grove, in the shade of a large ginko. Karin fed the horses, Hitsugaya lit a small fire for light, and Hanataro pulled a mortar and pestle and various herbs out of his bag and began to grind them into powder.

"I'm making a sleeping draught," Hanataro told Hitsugaya, who had been watching him. "I used up most of my supply yesterday." Karin snickered.

"Are you a doctor?" Hitsugaya asked.

"You bet!" Karin bragged. "Nezumi-chan's the best! He knows everything there is to know about acupuncture and is the most knowledgeable poison expert in the Eastern Provinces.

"Hmm," Hitsugaya mused. "That's quite impressive for a kid." Hanataro blushed.

"I'm really not that great. Kurosaki-sama is much better than I am. He's the official doctor to the daimyo." Karin snorted.

"That idiot can't tell his right from his left. He only keeps that position because he and the daimyo are old friends."

"Who's Kurosaki-sama?" Hitsugaya asked.

"My dad," Karin replied. "Biggest idiot I've ever met. He really wanted to have a house full of sons, but my mom died when I was little so he had to make due. I've been raised as a boy my entire life. He taught me to fight as soon as I was old enough to hold a sword. There was no feminine influence in my house and I never really had an education in manners or etiquette, so I don't know too much about cooking or embroidery, or any of those other things girls do. I spent most of my childhood playing in the mud and getting attacked by chickens. Nezumi-chan here came to live with us when I was about five. His family has had this dumb tradition of serving my family for generations. Something about us being from samurai stock. His dad's been tailing mine for as long as I can remember. So Nezumi-chan came in technically as a servant, but to me he's more like an apprentice or little brother. I think my idiot father just liked having another boy around the house. Not that Nezumi-chan is particularly manly." Hanataro blushed slightly, and Karin punched him playfully on the arm.

"He's been a decent enough addition to the family," Karin continued. "I think we can keep him around."

"Is it just you and your brother?" Hitsugaya asked.

"Yup," Karin replied. "His name's Ichigo. Bit of a moron, but he's pretty good with a sword. He's a military officer now. I think my dad favors him. He is a boy and all."

"I don't think that's true!" Hanataro protested. "Kurosaki-sama loves you very much!"

"Then why didn't Ichi-nii get sent out on a stupid quest like this? He lucked out."

"Quest?" Hitsugaya wondered.

"What, you didn't think I'm paying you to be my fiancé for fun did you?" Karin laughed. "Here's the story. On my sixteenth birthday my dad, who was off with the daimyo at the time, sent me a letter. He told me I had exactly one year to travel wherever I wanted, and that I had to bring home three things: a weapon more powerful than lightning, a treasure more valuable than gold, and the man who will be my partner for the rest of my days. Talk about ridiculous right? I don't even know where to begin. And the worst part is he didn't even have the guts to tell me in person! He probably thought he would lose a couple limbs if he did."

"So I'm the man who will be your partner for the rest of your days?" Hitsugaya asked, amused. Karin grinned.

"That's the general idea. We get to Karakura, I introduce you to my dad, he gets all excited, I get you the 250 rho I owe you, and you slip out. My dad writes you off as a bum who isn't worthy of his precious daughter and all is well."

"I think there was an insult in there somewhere but I'm having trouble finding it," Hitsugaya replied. Karin laughed.

"Hey, I like you Toushiro. At least you can tell a proper joke. Unlike this one." She jabbed her thumb towards Hanataro, who looked mildly offended, but didn't say anything in his defense.

"So your turn Toushiro," Karin prompted. "Tell me something about yourself. If we're going to be stuck together for six months, we might as well get acquainted."

"There's nothing to tell," Hitsugaya replied vaguely. "I'm a wanderer by nature. I get bored staying in the same place for too long, so this job of yours sounded worthwhile. That's all."

"Oh come on," Karin encouraged. "There's got to be more to you than that. You got any family?"

"No," Hitsugaya stated soundly. There was something oddly cold in the way he said it, and Karin decided not to press the issue. An awkward silence filled the grove, punctuated only by the crackling of the fire and the eerie hum of the cicadas, and Karin grasped around desperately for something to fill the void. Her eyes settled on Hitsugaya's sword, which had a piece of string tied around the hilt.

"What's with the string on your sword," she asked casually. "Doesn't it get in the way?"

"It's a seal," Hitsugaya answered. "To remind me never to draw it again." Karin raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? What good is a sword if you can't use it? Why bother carrying it at all. Or are you just a terrible fighter but don't want people to know?" Hitsugaya glared at her.

"I never said I couldn't use it. Just that I won't. Swords are nothing more than instruments of death. I don't want to spill human blood. But I'd be foolish to travel without one. So I seal it. That's all there is too it."

"I disagree," Karin declared. "I've felled hundreds of men with my swords, but I've never killed anyone. A talented fighter knows how to deal enough damage to incapacitate without delivering a fatal blow. Maybe you need to train more." Hitsugaya didn't reply. He stared unseeingly into the fire as the flames danced over the iron-hot embers.

"To each his own," he said at last. Suddenly, all three of them stiffened in union.

"Seven?" Hanataro whispered, his hand reaching for his sleeve. Hitsugaya shook his head.

"Eight," he corrected. Karin surreptitiously wrapped her hands around the hilts of her swords. There were a few more seconds of tension before a battle cry ripped through the peaceful night air and eight bandits descended into the camp. Hanataro took out two instantly, turning their bodies into pincushions. Karin drew her swords just in time to block a harsh blow from behind, then whirled around, maiming one attacker in the leg and another in the arm, leaving them hollering in pain as they fell to the ground, grasping their respective injuries. One of the fallen men reached into his kimono and drew a small dagger, but Karin was ready and deflected the flying blade easily. She responded by smashing the man's hand, causing him to yelp and clutch his broken digits close to his chest. Hitsugaya was a whirl of fists, as he took on three men at once, not allowing them to get close enough to him to do any damage as he disabled them one by one with his bare hands. Finally, there was one man left standing, observing the wreckage with a mixture of alarm and panic. Karin and Hitsugaya began to close in on him and he fell to his knees.

"Please, don't hurt us anymore!" he pleaded. "We'll leave you alone, we promise!"

"You better keep that promise!" Hitsugaya stated menacingly. "Or we won't be so gentle next time. Now get the heck out of here!" The man nodded vigorously and scrambled to his feet, tossing two of his fallen comrades over his shoulder, as the few others who could still move dragged the rest away like carrion.

"Well," Karin said at last, when their attackers were finally out of earshot, "that was sufficient enough for evening entertainment." She shook her hair and turned towards Hitsugaya with a satisfied smile. "I take back what I said, Toushiro. You may not be able to use a sword, but you're deadly enough with your fists to make up for it. I'm actually impressed."

"You're not bad yourself," Hitsugaya returned. "You weren't kidding when you said you were taught how to fight." Karin grinned.

"Hey Nezumi-chan," she called over her shoulder. "Guess what? I'm not bored anymore!" Hanataro sighed deeply.

**I'm sure you all noticed, but I cut Yuzu out of this story. Sorry Yuzu, but you just don't fit in the family this time. I hope this chapter cleared up any more loose ends about what Karin's quest is all about.**

**Hitsugaya's backstory will be revealed in due time, don't worry :) The real fun is about to start, so look forward to it!**


	4. Drinking with a Tiger

**I'm so sorry it took me so long to post this. I've had a crazy busy week. But here's an extra long chapter to make up for it, so I hope you'll forgive me :)**

A week turned into two, then three. The oppressive heat finally began to break, giving way to tamer temperatures and brightly colored leaves that followed the trio into a thriving merchant town. The place was in sharp contrast to the one where they had met Hitsugaya. Rather than being a rat hole crawling with thieves, this one had tall, freshly painted building with fine ornamental trim and a lively marketplace where one could buy anything from silk to flowers to foreign spices. The roads were smooth and easy on their feet and they were greeted with a warm smile by the innkeeper.

Karin hated it.

"What's with this town?" she grumbled, as they made their way through the densely packed market. "Everyone's way too happy. It's making me nervous."

"What's there to be nervous about, Ojosama?" Hanataro asked happily, as he examined herbs at an apothecary. "This town has everything we could possibly want."

"I agree with Kurosaki," Hitsugaya added. "It feels like everything here is a bit too perfect. We should be on our guards." Hanataro sighed.

"I'll never understand why you two are more comfortable in a bar full of bandits than on a safe sunny street full of innocent civilians."

"I am not more comfortable in a bar," Hitsugaya corrected. Karin chuckled.

"And I don't understand how you can hate sake so much," she chided. "It's one of life's greatest pleasures."

They ate dinner in a boisterous tavern with live music and cute waitresses that made Hanataro blush more than once and caused Karin to double up in hysterical laughter. Hitsugaya seemed immune to them.

"Are you sure you're a man?" Karin chided as a waitress in a particularly garish floral kimono and bright red lipstick left the table after several failed attempts at engaging Hitsugaya in conversation. "That one was pretty attractive."

"She's not my type," he replied coolly. "And I don't think my fiancé should be encouraging me to flirt with other women." Karin laughed. The engagement had become a bit of a joke for them and they took every opportunity they had to tease each other about it, something that was enhanced by the fact that it bothered Hanataro so much and it was fun to see him get flustered. At the moment however, he was being fussed over by three waitresses who all wanted to refill his tea and were standing way too close for comfort, so the line was missed entirely.

The night at the inn was pleasant enough, but by the next morning, both Hitsugaya and Karin were ready to move on.

"I was hoping we could stay here a few days," Hanataro protested. "You know, rest up a bit, resupply. We could give the horses a break too."

"It's not like we're wearing them out," Karin countered. "We're not traveling that fast. But I guess we could stay and go to that tavern again." Hanataro flushed all kinds of shades of magenta.

"I'll get the horses," he mumbled, turning around and heading towards the stable.

"You're so rough on him," Hitsugaya reprimanded. "I'm worried he might crack in half someday."

"Oh he can handle it," Karin replied. "Besides, you know you enjoyed watching him fidget last night." Hitsugaya couldn't deny that.

Suddenly, they heard a strangled cry from the direction of the stables.

"Nezumi-chan?" Karin reacted, startled. "What's up with him?"

"The kid should be more than capable of protecting himself." Hitsugaya looked concerned. "Come on." The two ran towards the stables, Karin readying her swords, but when they arrived it was to find a desperate Hanataro arguing with the rather hassled stable owner.

"It was just last night, I have no idea how they did it," the owner defended, waving his arms frantically.

"How do ten horses just disappear?" Hanataro yelled frantically. "They couldn't just leave by themselves!"

"What's going on?" Karin asked, though she was sure it couldn't be anything good.

"Our horses were stolen last night," Hanataro answered. "All three of them."

"WHAT?" Karin screeched. "In this town? Is that even possible?" The stable owner covered his ears and cowered under Karin's sharp gaze.

"I…I have no idea," he stammered. "I came to work this morning and they were gone. This has never happened to me before." Karin looked ready to kill something, but she somehow managed to swallow her anger and leave the stable without killing the pathetic lump of an owner.

"What the heck are we supposed to do now?" she shouted in fury.

"Ojosama, people are staring!" Hanataro attempted vainly to calm her.

"I don't care who's looking! What are we supposed to do without our horses? It's not physically possible to get to Karakura in five months on foot. And even a cheap horse will cost 50 rho, at least. We don't have that kind of money! And there's no way Toushiro here's going to splurge for it."

"Nope," he agreed. "I'm saving it for something more important." Karin growled.

"Well, let's all just calm down and go get some tea," Hanataro pleaded. "Ok?"

oooooooooooooooooooooo

Several hours later Hanataro had succeeded in dragging a disgruntled Karin into a tea shop and the three of them sat drinking green tea as they pondered what to do.

"I knew we shouldn't have trusted this town," Karin grumbled. "It was too clean." Hitsugaya calmly sipped his tea. Karin scoffed at him.

"Easy for you to be so relaxed. You're just a hired tag-a-long."

"Yup," Hitsugaya replied. "I'm in no hurry to get to Karakura. As long as the journey is interesting. And you're putting on quite a show at the moment."

"You want to lose an ear?" Karin threatened, reaching for a sword.

"Please calm down you two!" Hanataro gasped, jumping up and throwing out his arms to try to keep the quarrelers separated. "I don't want us to fight here." They were silent for a moment, then Karin broke out into laughter.

"You really can't take a joke, can you Nezumi-chan?" she chortled.

"You were joking?" Hanataro looked utterly astonished. Karin laughed again.

"I can't take you anywhere," she chided, ruffling his hair.

"You too Hitsugaya-san?" Hitsugaya smirked. Hanataro sighed dejectedly. "Why I am the only one who's left out?"

"Because you take life too seriously," Karin answered. "You've got to learn to kick back a bit. Come on, I need a drink."

"You've got a drink," Hanataro protested. Karin rolled her eyes. "And what are we going to do about transportation?"

"I'll think about it after I sober up. Let's go."

They were heading down the busy streets looking for a bar that suited Karin's taste when a sign caught her eye. It read, "Sake drinking contest. 100 rho prize."

"Hey, Nezumi-chan," Karin said, an excited smile crawling across her face. "I think I just solved our money problems." And without even waiting for a protest she disappeared into the bar.

The place was packed to the rafters with merchants from all over the country who were laughing amicably and filling the room with the sound of revelry. There was barely room to turn around and the smell of sweat and alcohol permeated through the crowd. A short man with a receding hairline and a pathetic excuse for a beard was standing on the bar.

"All right everyone, no need to rush!" he called to the throng. "Submit your name and entry fee for the contest right here! The sake will run all night!" Karin eagerly gave her name to the man and squirmed her way into a seat with a satisfied grin. Hanataro appeared more nervous than usual, and Hitsugaya was observing the crowd with feigned interest.

"Oi, neesan, what's a lady like you doing in a pit like this? This ain't no place for a tea party. This is a battlefield." The trio turned around to find a man with bulging muscles and a shock of bright red hair. His face and arms were heavily tattooed and he carried an air of pride and authority, as if self confidence was something he himself had invented.

"Well I guess that's good," Karin retorted. "Because I wasn't looking for a damn tea party. And I can't wait to see the look on your face when I drink you into a stupor."

"Is that so?" the man replied, clearly impressed. "I like you girl. You've got guts. Name's Renji. Abarai Renji."

"Kurosaki Karin. I'd say it's nice to meet you, but seeing as you're my rival for the cash, I'll refrain." Renji laughed heartily.

"Well, the best of luck to ya'." He flashed a smile, then left to go heckle another group, which welcomed him with cat calls and friendly punches.

"He seems quite popular around here," Hitsugaya noted. Karin scoffed.

"He won't look so hot when he's puking his brains out. Guys like that are all talk. Although, he does seem like one of the better ones."

Soon glasses of sake were passed out and the drinking began. Everyone lasted through the first and second bottles and most made it through the third, but by the fourth, the competitors began to drop. They fell slowly at first, collapsing to the floor or excusing themselves to run for a trashcan, but by the sixth bottle they were dropping like flies.

"Oi, you're doing alright over there, neechan!" Renji noted.

"You're not doing bad yourself," Karin replied, raising her glass to him briefly before taking another swig. Renji smirked, then downed his drink in one go. They continued to throw jabs at each other, and before long they were the only two left standing. Hanataro gazed at them in wonder.

"I didn't realize there was someone else out there who could take his alcohol as well as Ojosama," he marveled. Hitsugaya was not particularly amused, but he held his tongue. Karin seemed to be enjoying herself and he knew enough about her at this point to know that intruding on her fun meant certain disembowelment. But he couldn't help but notice how Renji's eyes seemed to be looking at more than Karin's iron-clad stomach, and that bothered him even more than the sake.

Karin and Renji had both reached their fifteenth bottle and neither was showing any sign of stopping.

"Another!" they ordered. The bartender looked panicked.

"I'm sorry, but we're all out!" he declared. "That's all the sake I had for the contest."

"What!" Karin yelled. "Then what about the prize? Who gets the money?"

"Well, you could split it," the bartender offered.

"Don't give me that crap," Karin retorted. "There's no way the three of us are sitting on one horse."

"You going somewhere?" Renji asked.

"Yeah," Karin grumbled. "Karakura. A small town out east. But some idiot stole our horses and we can't afford new ones." Renji considered her for a moment.

"Hey, neechan," he began. "Can you use those swords, or are they just for show?" Karin grinned wily.

"Would you like to find out?" she challenged.

"Winner gets the money?"

"You're so on!"

They headed outside at the request of the bartender and readied themselves for a duel.

"Show him who's boss Kurosaki," Hitsugaya encouraged. Karin smiled at him.

"Don't worry. There hasn't been a man yet who could best me with a sword."

"Well then it looks like I'll have the pleasure of being the first," Renji said, drawing his katana. "Ready when you are."

"Bring it." And with that they flew at each other, their swords clashing with the distinctive clang of steel on steel. For several minutes they were a flurry of movement as each went at the other with everything they had. Renji turned out to be just as talented as he claimed, and soon Karin was breathing heavily as she fought to keep up with his pace. Not wanting him to get the better of her, Karin spread her arms wide and leapt forward, then flicked her wrists so her swords crossed in midair. Renji swung down in the middle of her swing, trapping her blades in a deadlock. He twisted his wrist violently, torquing her swords upwards. Karin fought against it with all her might, but before she knew it she had lost her grip and the katanas flew out of her hands, one embedding itself in the bar wall and the other landing dangerously close to Hanataro's feet.

"What…the heck…are you?" Karin panted, gasping for breath. Renji grinned broadly.

"Just your average everyday traveling merchant who just became 100 rho richer!" Karin scoffed.

"Let's get out of here." She picked up her swords and stormed off, leaving a very satisfied and curious Renji behind.

ooooooooooooooooo

Back at the inn Karin took out all her range and anger on a supremely unhappy chair, despite Hanataro's protests that they were going to have to pay for it.

"That jerk, who does he think he is?" she screamed as she sliced the chair into sawdust. "I've never been beaten by a man before. Ever!"

"Maybe the sake dulled your reflexes," Hanataro offered. He had to duck as a large hunk of wood wizzed through the space formerly occupied by his forehead.

"He was just as drunk as I was! Who was he? If I ever see him again, I'm going to tear him limb from limb."

"You know, there's something strangely attractive about all this," Hitsugaya commented. Karin took a moment to consider his statement before he too had to move to avoid a projectile.

Karin had calmed down significantly by the next morning. On this side of a sake bottle, Renji seemed to be more of a rival than an enemy.

"If you're lucky, maybe you'll get to spar him again!" Hanataro said brightly, extremely grateful that Karin had calmed down. Hitsugaya frowned. He wouldn't mind if they never saw that fiery redhead again.

"Today let's try to find another way out of here," Karin said as they exited the inn. "I can't stand to stay in this town anymore."

"Oi," called a familiar voice, and Karin turned around to find Renji leaning casually up against a large wagon hitched to a sturdy roan. "You fellas need a ride?" Karin's eyes narrowed.

"What are you playing at?" she asked suspiciously. Renji laughed.

"Oi oi, don't look at me like I'm some kind of criminal. You three sounded like you were in a bit of a pinch, what with your horses getting stolen and all. Truth be told I was heading out east anyways. I don't mind taking you to Karakura or wherever the heck it is you're going." Karin was not convinced.

"What's the catch?"

"No catch. Seriously," he responded to Karin's incredulous look. "Honestly, I've kind of taken a liking to you guys. I've never met a girl who could go head to head with me when it came to sake. And you're damn good with a sword too. You actually made me work for that money. I think we'll get along alright. Besides, it's always more fun to travel in groups. So whaddya say?"

Karin looked at Hitsugaya.

"What do you think?" she asked. Hitsugaya's first reaction was that Renji would be about as much fun to travel with as a hungry tiger but it was either that or watch Karin get angrier and angrier about their lack of transportation, and given those two options, the tiger seemed more appealing.

"It's alright with me," he said simply.

"It's settled then," Karin declared. "We'll take you up on that offer."

"Wait, don't I get a say?" Hanataro chimed in. Karin pondered that for a moment.

"Nope!" she said brightly. "Come on boys, let's ditch this town." They climbed into the back of Renji's wagon, and the party of four headed out of the clean, well-kept town and out onto the open road.

**Renji's probably going to be the most OOC character in this fic, but I promise at some point Renji's OOCness will get explained, so in my mind right now the character that is Renji makes sense. Please bear with him and enjoy him for now. I think he'll be entertaining.**

**I know Hitsugaya doesn't talk a whole lot in this chapter, but he's a man of few words to begin with, so it was hard to find places where he actually would have joined the conversation. Don't worry, he and Karin will get some good juicy moments in the chapters to come.**


	5. The Moonlit Figure

**So, in my past life I used to post much more frequently, but I don't seem to be able to do that this time around. Sorry guys, but life it just too busy for me to be able to write every day. So I'll post as often as I can and I hope that you guys can forgive me for my delayed schedule. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter :) **

"So then the guy looks me straight in the eye and says, 'I could have sworn that was a fish.'" Karin laughed so hard she fell over backwards. Hanataro snorted into his soup. Even the corner of Hitsugaya's mouth crept up a little.

"Renji there's just no way that actually happened," Karin said incredulously. "You're making that up."

"I am not," Renji claimed. "Honest."

"Tell us another one, Abarai-san," Hanataro asked eagerly.

"Sure thing Chibi-chan. Let's see. Oh I got a good one. There was this one time…"

Renji's storytelling had become a favorite pastime during the long daily rides. It turned out that he was, as he said, a merchant, who sold anything and everything he could get his hands on. At the moment, his wagon was packed with ornamental feathers that he sold to hatters and tailors in the towns they visited, but, if his stories were to be believed, he had carried apples, wood, weapons, gold, eggs, cloth, flowers, and even pigs. He loved his job for the adventures it allowed him to have and he spent hours each day regaling his fellow travelers with tales of his travels. Karin loved the stories. Hanataro was on cloud nine. Hitsugaya for the most part pretended not to listen, but even he enjoyed some of them. At night they would set up camp and Renji and Karin would spar. Karin had yet to beat Renji, but she was convinced the day would come.

Karin had told Renji all about her quest and her "engagement" to Hitsugaya. Renji had just laughed.

"Sound's like you got yourself a pretty good deal there, eh Hitsugaya?" he ragged, jabbing Hitsugaya in the ribs. "I wouldn't mind 500 rho myself."

They spent a day in a small village where they restocked their food supplies and Renji made a killing on his feathers, which were apparently highly prized for costumes that were worn during this village's new years' festival.

"Dinner's my treat tonight!" he declared excitedly, slamming his fist against the table and knocking over his sake bottle. "And afterwards you can all join me in the red light district!" Hanataro choked.

"Red…red light district!" he stammered, his face a brilliant maroon. "I…I don't think…that is…um..."

"I think that's a bit too high level for Nezumi-chan," Karin chortled. "I don't think his sheltered self can handle that." Renji snickered.

"I guess Chibi-chan's still too much of a kid anyway. Hitsugaya you're coming right?"

"Not really my thing," Hitsugaya replied flatly, taking a sip of tea.

"I swear, this guys not a real man," Karin teased. Hitsugaya glared at her.

"I just don't think that the company of women is something that should be paid for." Karin expected him to follow up with some joke about their engagement like he usually did under these circumstances, and was a little surprised when he calmly returned to his meal. It was often difficult to read Hitsugaya's expression, but from what little Karin knew of him, she thought he was probably in a pretty bad mood. He had been even more aloof than usual since Renji had joined the party. Karin had been meaning to ask him about it, but she hadn't had the chance.

Renji shrugged.

"Suit yourself," he said, downing his sake and getting up. "I'll catch you guys later."

They spent the next few days riding through a lush forest where autumn had fully set in. Leaves of every color rained down on their heads as they meandered their way over poorly paved paths covered in underbrush. The air was still relatively warm and the sunlight was pleasant on their faces. They set up camp in a rich valley at the base of a waterfall, where white water sprayed their clothes and the falling leaves danced on the surface of the swirling river below. Karin and Renji sparred for a while, then they settled down to eat dinner as the full moon rose slowly, basking them in its radiant glow.

"Ah, this is the life!" Renji said contentedly, leaning back against a tree. "Nothing but the open road and the pure sense of adventure." Karin was feeling quite relaxed and more than a little tired. She turned to say something to Hitsugaya when she realized that he had slipped away without her noticing.

"Hey, anyone seen Toushiro?" she asked. Renji shook his head.

"I think he went that way," Hanataro answered, pointing downstream. Karin rose to her feet.

"I'm going to go look for him. I'll be back in a bit." She headed out of camp, following the winding water. As she got further and further away from the fire, all she could hear was the sharp cry of the cicadas, the leaves crunching under her feet, and the burbling of the stream. She determined that tonight she was finally going to convince Hitsugaya to talk and tell her what is was that was bothering him so much. It worried her that he was so angry when the rest of them were enjoying themselves so much.

She turned a corner and entered a clearing where a small inlet of water had carved out a home in the bedrock. She heard splashing and looked up to see a naked figure bathing himself in the cool water. His pale body glowed in the gentle moonlight and his silky white hair sparkled like pure ice. Set against the dark backdrop, he looked ethereal, like something almost sacred. Karin would have been startled to suddenly find herself alone with a naked man, but something else grabbed her attention first. Hitsugaya's back and upper arms were completely covered with deep scars that slashed in every imaginable direction. But they weren't the standard, clean, linear marks that a sword leaves. These were much more brutal, as if whatever had caused them had torn deep into his flesh until it was unrecognizable as human skin. Karin was so stunned by the sight that she forgot the situation she was in.

"How long do you plan on staring at me?" Hitsugaya's voice ripped Karin out of her reverie.

"Sorry," she startled, turning her back to give him a little privacy. "I was just looking for you. I didn't realize you were bathing."

"It's alright," Hitsugaya replied. "It's not that big of a deal. You can look now." Karin turned back around. Hitsugaya had left the water and put his kimono on, but his damp hair was still plastered to his neck and droplets of water glistened on his skin like the stars above them. Karin thought briefly that no man had ever looked so beautiful, but she pushed the thought rapidly to the back of her mind.

"Um, I'm not going to pretend I didn't see it," she began, turning her eyes away from his ever so slightly. "What happened to your back?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh don't play dumb!" Karin yelled. "Your back! No sword left those wounds. You look like you've been whipped. Repeatedly. With barbed wire or something." Hitsugaya shrugged.

"It's nothing," he said nonchalantly. Karin swelled with anger.

"What's with that? What do you mean, 'it's nothing?' How can something like that be nothing? Why won't you tell me? Why don't you tell me anything?" Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow.

"What exactly don't I tell you?"

"Everything! Renji doesn't shut his mouth about his adventures. You're a traveler too. I'm sure you have hundreds of stories to share, but you don't. You never talk about yourself or your past or your friends or anything. I feel like I don't know anything about you!"

"_No!"_ she reprimanded herself. _"This wasn't what I came out here for! I don't want to yell at him. I want to talk to him! Why am I so incapable of having a normal conversation?"_

"Why is it so important to know about my past?" he asked, and Karin paused in her internal tirade. "Does it really matter?"

"No," Karin replied apologetically. "Sorry about that. It's just that…well…you've seemed so unhappy lately and I want to help you but you never talk to me. You just sit in the corner and sulk. If…if we're going to be engaged, even just temporarily, then I want to be able to support you." Hitsugaya's eyes opened wide as he absorbed that statement. Neither said anything for a while, the silence perforated only by the flowing stream and the constant buzz of the insects.

"I'm sorry," Hitsugaya said at last. "I'm sorry if I worried you. My past isn't really something I care to share."

"It's ok," Karin said fervently, shaking her head. "You don't have to." Hitsugaya smirked.

"Besides," he added, "it's not my past that's traveling with you. It's my present. So rather than living on tales of old adventures, why don't we create some new ones?" Karin beamed at him.

"Ok," she nodded. "Agreed!" Hitsugaya looked serene at that moment, his shining skin and glassy hair were almost unearthly, and Karin had a sudden urge to keep that Hitsugaya all to herself. She grabbed his arm and pulled it to her.

"Come on," she said brightly. "I don't feel like going back to camp yet, and the night's too pleasant to waste. Let's go for a walk." Hitsguaya allowed himself to be steered away by Karin, finding himself in a much better mood than he had in a long while. He waited until Karin had turned her attention elsewhere and surreptitiously smiled.

**I was really looking forward to this scene. I hoped you guys liked reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. This is just the beginning of their budding relationship, so stay tuned for more HitsuKarin goodness!**


	6. Karin's Problem

**Wow, it's never taken me this long to get through a story, so I apologize for keeping everybody waiting. Unfortunately, I don't think my speed is going to pick up anytime soon, but I promise not to abandon the story or anything like that, so don't worry. **

**Thanks everyone for your kind and wonderful reviews. I really appreciate them. I'm glad you liked the HitsuKarin moment. There will be more to come, I promise, but this is an adventure as much as it is a romance, so I'm not going to rush things or I think it will be too cheesy. Ok, I'm done talking. Story time!**

Clash! Clang! The high pitched cry of three swords rang through the still evening. Trails of sweat ran down Karin's forehead and into her eyes as she whirled out of the way of the oncoming blade with inches to spare. In a split second she had turned on her heel and delivered a harsh blow to her opponent, who blocked it marvelously, pushed her out of the way with brute force, and rapidly launched his counter attack. Karin jumped high for an aerial attack, but wasn't quite fast enough to avoid the oncoming jab, and narrowly missing being impaled.

"Is that all you've got?" Renji jeered as he slashed at her with lightning speed. "You'll never beat me at this rate!"

"Don't underestimate me," Karin goaded. "I'm just getting starting!" She raised both swords high in the air and let out a fierce battle cry as she swung down with all her might to deliver a death blow. Renji countered by slicing upwards at full speed to meet her attack in midair. As the blades made contact, a new sound ripped through the clearing. Crack. Hitsugaya, who had his nose in a book, casually leaned to one side and allowed a broken sword shard to wiz past the spot formerly occupied by his head. A second shard flew through camp and landed with a fizzle in the fire, sending sparks flying everywhere and causing Hanataro to jump with fright as the herbs he was grinding were set ablaze courtesy of a stray ember. Karin stared at the stumps she was holding with utter disbelief.

"What the heck?" she cried, more surprised than angry. "What _are_ you?" Renji crossed his arms with satisfaction.

"Just the strongest samurai this side of Edo," he declared triumphantly. He laughed proudly. Karin glared at him.

"Those don't look too good," Hitsugaya observed, putting his book down and coming over to study the broken blades. "They're pretty unrepairable."

"I can't believe you broke another," Hanataro moaned. "And two this time. Kurosaki-sama won't be pleased." Karin shrugged.

"It's not like they were particularly valuable or anything."

"You've broken swords before?" Renji asked in awe. Snapping a sword in half was no easy task, and required extreme power from both parties. It usually occurred from wear due to excessive use. Karin nodded.

"This is my third set of swords," she told them. "I broke the old ones when sparring with the daimyo's son. Boy was he surprised." Hanataro sighed at the memory.

"You were just lucky that the daimyo was more amused than angry," he scolded her gently. "His son almost lost an arm that day." Karin scoffed.

"It was his own damn fault for fighting me with a big heavy club. What was he thinking? But that aside…" she trailed off and everyone's attention turned to the useless swords in her hands. "What am I going to do about these? I can't be weaponless."

"Why don't you borrow Hitsugaya's sword?" Renji offered. "He doesn't seem to be using it much."

"No," Hitsugaya stated soundly. "No one is permitted to unseal that sword." Karin rolled her eyes.

"Seriously, what's the point of carrying it if you're not going to use it? Katanas are expensive you know! I don't suppose you're going to pay for new ones?" Hitsugaya smirked.

"I told you, I'm saving that money for something important. New twin kanatas for someone who was clumsy enough to break hers don't qualify." Karin gave him a rueful grin.

"You're all heart," she chided.

"I try."

"There's a decent sized town not too far from here," Renji told them. "We can easily reach it in two days. Let's head there and see if we can find a swordsmith who will you sell you something for a reasonable price." Karin groaned.

"First the horses, now my swords. Maybe we'll pick up another straggler who'll give us two swords in exchange for a ride to Karakura."

"Don't even joke about that," Hanataro said nervously, and both Karin and Renji laughed.

ooooooooooooooooooooo

Two days later they found themselves in well-loved town crawling with stray dogs, children playing marbles in the streets, and horse-drawn carts filled with tea and eggs. The residents were not particularly wealthy, but the populous seemed pleased with their lives, and if Karin hadn't been so preoccupied with the loss of her swords, she probably would have enjoyed herself. There was an amply stocked marketplace and enough seedy bars to entertain Karin and Renji for the evening. As per his usual routine, Renji disappeared into the red-light district and Karin drank until Hanataro enlisted Hitsugaya's help in dragging her out as she was unarmed at the moment and he was afraid she may forget that fact and pick a fight anyway.

The next day Karin set out with a mission. She visited three swordsmiths, four blacksmiths, and even a jewelry maker, but no one was willing to forge her even a single sword that fit her budget. Two were out of the question.

"Cheap jerk," Karin scoffed as she left the blacksmith fuming. "I'm a paying customer too!"

"He'll lose money selling a sword to you," Hitsugaya pointed out.

"If you value your teeth you'll keep your mouth shut!" she snarled. "Ahh, I feel so naked without my katanas. I miss their weight." She was walking slightly lopsided since her gait had adapted to account for the swords that were permanently glued to her waist. Even Hanataro, who hated the blades with a passion, had to admit that she looked strange in their absence.

Karin grumbled all through dinner, flicking grains of rice around her plate in frustration at her situation.

"I'm just going to have to find a way to raise the money," she declared finally. "No one's going to make me swords with what I've got."

"Another drinking contest?" Renji teased.

"You are _not_ allowed to enter!" she ordered. "I need the money this time."

"You needed it last time too. Instead you won the value of my company!"

"Oh joy," Hitsugaya mumbled and Karin spit out her tea all over Hanataro's face.

"But seriously," she continued as Hitsugaya passed Hanataro a handkerchief, "I need a job. Maybe I can be a bodyguard or something."

"Without swords?" Hitsugaya asked. "Quite a useless bodyguard if you ask me." Karin glared at him. They ate in silence for a while, each pondering ways for Karin to legally attain the money she required. Karin thought about her options for a while, but her attention rapidly waned and she began eavesdropping on the conversations of the other customers. Several middle aged women were complaining about their husbands and arguing about the best way to pickle a radish. A family of four sat in the corner and the children were engaged in a furious rice fight. A lone man sat at the bar and drowned his sorrows in a bottle of plum wine as the hostess assured him that his chickens would recover. And at the table behind them, two raucous teenage boys with long hair, scruffy chins, and mud-splattered kimonos were deep in conversation about some secret place in the mountains.

"We couldn't even find it," one boy said dejectedly, staring unseeingly at his fish.

"We'll find it next time!" his companion assured him. "We were close this time, I could feel it!"

"Frankly, I'm not even sure it exists."

"It does. Kakashi saw it with his own eyes."

"Then why won't he show us where it is?"

"Because it scared the living daylights out of him that's why. It's pretty unnatural."

"Remind me why we're looking for it again?" His companion sighed.

"Do you honestly want to tell me that you've given up the dream of an untouchable sword?" The other boy smirked.

"I guess not. I just…" But he never got the chance to finish his sentence because before the words were out of his mouth, Karin had bolted out of her chair, leapt over Hanataro, and plopped herself down into an empty seat at the boys table.

"Tell me more about this untouchable sword!" she said eagerly, completely ignoring the boys flabbergasted faces, Renji's howling laughter, Hanataro's nervous twitching, and Hitsugaya's slightly raised eyebrow.

"It's…it's not really a sword," one boy began. "More like a type of metal."

"Explain!" Karin demanded and the boys jumped.

"It's called the 'Dancing Rocks,'" the boy continued. "It's a very isolated, very remote place in the mountains due north of here. It's said to be less than a days' walk away, but people have spent months searching and few have found it. The rocks there are alive. No seriously," he added, noticing Karin's incredulous face. "Like, really alive. They move on their own. Hence 'Dancing Rocks.' It's said that a sword made out of that stone will be unblockable. That other swords flow off of it like butter and that it's impossible for another sword to even make contact with the blade. There's a standing promise in town that anyone who brings back a dancing rock can have a sword forged for free by any swordsmith, since every swordsmith and blacksmith in town would give their left foot to work with it. But no one's ever brought one back."

"Sounds like a legend to me," Hitsugaya said. "Rocks don't move on their own. I don't believe it."

"Don't be a spoilsport," Karin scolded. "It's a chance to get a sword made for free so I'm taking it. Besides, it might be fun."

"I'm up for it!" Renji declared. "Let's do it!" They thanked the boys, paid their bill, and went back to the inn to prepare for the next days' adventure.

**Cookies if you can guess who the daimyo is!**


	7. Tracking a Stone

**Well, I owe several people cookies now, but I won't tell you who you are because that would spoil the surprise (evil grin).**

**So, I was re-reading some of my old stuff this week and I realized that this story is seriously lacking. I don't really feel like it levels up to my old standard. I don't think I have as good a grasp on the characters this time, or I don't get in their heads enough. Maybe it's the current lack of Matsumoto. So, I apologize if you feel like this story isn't as good as its predecessors, because I do, but I hope you're enjoying it anyway :P **

They began the day at dawn, watching the blood-red sun poke its blinding face between two misty mountains as they downed cups of strong tea to force themselves awake. Upon Hanataro's insistence, they split up to gather as much information about the Dancing Rocks as possible before heading out into the uncharted territory themselves. They regrouped at the edge of town to share the rumors they had collected. The Dancing Rocks were a sacred place blessed by the gods and anyone who set foot there would be wealthy for the rest of their lives. The Dancing Rocks were cursed and any poor soul who saw them would be doomed to wander aimlessly, never finding a home to rest their weary bones. The Dancing Rocks were haunted by an abandoned child who lured in unsuspecting travelers and plucked out all the hair on their body, one strand at a time. The Dancing Rocks were a stupid myth and anyone who believed in them needed a good strong kick to the face. The Dancing Rocks are real all right, I've seen them with my own two eyes, but I'll be damned, they were the heaviest darn things I've ever come across and four horses couldn't make one budge even an inch. The Dancing Rocks are really giant spiders that everyone assumes are rocks due to the markings on their backs. And everyone's favorite, the Dancing Rocks is the bar where all the rocks hang out to drink sake and play go. One thing everyone could agree upon however, was that the Dancing Rocks, whatever they were, were composed of the most highly prized metal in all of Japan, and anyone who could bring one back to town would become the stuff of legend. There was also a general consensus that the rocks were less than a days' walk away, due north from the town, but they were buried deep in a dark, dry cave, of which there were hundreds, and were therefore nearly impossible to find. But impossible wasn't in Karin's dictionary, so they piled into the wagon and set out into the wild, dense mountains.

The mid-morning sun was warm on their faces, countering the crisp, cool breeze that wafted in from the foothills, foreshadowing the upcoming winter. As they traveled deeper into the mountains, it quickly became apparent why the Dancing Rocks were so difficult to find. Everywhere they looked they could see caves. Any bend in the rock, any curve in the ground, any crooked tree was concealing an entrance to a fissure in the earth that seemed to stretch all the way down to hell. It was as if an earthquake had shredded the ground, but the Earth hadn't bothered to repair itself, leaving the landscape covered with open wounds.

They paused for lunch next to a burbling stream and discussed their options.

"We are _not_ searching every one of those caves," Hitsugaya stated soundly. "That would take us the rest of our lifetimes." Karin nodded.

"Yeah, I agree, but there's got to be a way to narrow it down. People have found them before and it couldn't have been just by chance. Come on, we can do this. What do we know about these rocks that could help us pinpoint their location?" They pondered this in silence for a while, listening to the birds and the gentle flow of the stream.

"I've got it!" Hanataro exclaimed, shattering the rich sound of nature and starting a nearby duck. "I know how we can find them!" Hanataro looked more excited than he had in ages, and Karin was taken aback by his triumphant facial expression.

"What's up Nezumi-chan?"

"Yeah, explain, Chibi-chan!" Renji demanded. Hanataro beamed at them.

"They move!" he announced, as if stating a ground breaking piece of information. Karin tried to stifle her laughter, but she failed miserably and soon she and Renji were howling.

"Um, I hate to break it to you, Nezumi-chan," Karin said, her voice full of mirth, "but that is exactly why we are looking for them." Hanataro was not deterred.

"No," he continued urgently. "I mean, well, yes that is why, but that's not what I mean. If the rocks move, then we should be able to detect them. Anything that large that moves has to vibrate, or make noise or something. If we follow the pattern of the vibrations, we can track them." Renji appeared confused. Hitsugaya was pensive. Karin looked like she wanted to kiss him.

"Nezumi-chan, I love you!" she cried.

"It's an interesting thought," Hitsugaya pondered. "I'm giving you credit kid. How are your tracking skills?"

"Um, they're ok," Hanataro replied sheepishly. Karin rolled her eyes.

"Nezumi-chan spends half his life in the mountains hunting down rare herbs. If anyone can do this, he can."

"So, I hate to be the idiot here, but what the heck are you guys talking about?" Renji broke in, scratching his head. "Tracking rocks? Hunting herbs? They're not squirrels." Karin snickered.

"Whenever something moves, it leaves a trace," Hanataro explained. "An animal, for example, leaves more than just footprints. It moves stones out of its way, it breaks branches, it eats wildlife. There are hundreds of signs. It's harder for something like rocks, but if they're as big as the rumors say they are and they really do move, then they should leave evidence. A vibration through the earth should cause minor changes that will be obvious if you're looking for them. For example, this river." He pointed to the stream beside them. "Look closely at the rocks." The water was extremely shallow and crystal clear, so they could see the mosaic of stones displayed along the bottom. Several of the stones rose above the surface, iceberg like, and the water rolled lazily around them creating folds in the current as they lapped against the surface.

"What about it?" Renji asked, still not understanding this whole tracking rocks thing. Hitsugaya's eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the stream with the attention of a jeweler. Finally, he smirked.

"Very smart kid. I think I may actually believe in these Dancing Rocks now." Renji looked even more bewildered.

"What the heck are you two doing? It's just some water."

"Abarai-san, you're not looking closely enough," Hanataro continued. "Can't you see the ripples on the surface?" Renji raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, any idiot can see them. What do they have to do with the Dancing Rocks?" Hanataro shook his head.

"No, not the big ones. Look harder." Renji leaned in, his nose hovering centimeters from the water's surface. It was then that he saw them. Aside from the obvious ripples created by the river's flow and the turbulence around the pebbles, there was a steady background undercurrent that cut across the water, as if a butterfly was crying and dropping her tears into the water somewhere upstream.

"I don't know how you guys saw that," Renji marveled. "So, what's it tell us? Which way now?" Both Hanataro and Hitsugaya pointed just left of the direction they had been heading in. Renji shook his head.

"I'm not even going to ask anymore. Take the lead you two."

It was slow but steady work. Hanataro and Hitsugaya paused at seemingly random spots and analyzed the most minute details: the bark pattern in an old tree, the scurrying motion of a colony of termites, even the way the sand was scattered on an outcrop. Renji was dumbfounded. Karin was impressed. And not with Hanataro. She had spent her childhood watching Hanataro pick his way along unmarked paths in unfamiliar territory searching for some exotic plant that he needed for a complicated medication to cure a rare disease. This was second nature to him. But she hadn't expected Hitsugaya to be privy to the same set of skills. He was clearly a master tracker. Karin was desperate to know where he learned it, but with Hitsugaya as closed lipped as he was about his past, she refrained. At least for the moment. When the chance arose, she was determined to find out more. But for now, locating the Dancing Rocks was the priority, and she didn't want to distract him.

The sun was kissing the distant summits, its amber light turning the peaks a brilliant gold, when Hanataro and Hitsugaya stopped. They looked at each other and nodded.

"They're in there," Hanataro declared proudly, pointing at an unobtrusive and unimportant looking boulder, one of hundreds that dotted the landscape. Renji looked incredulous.

"Really?" he said, unconvinced.

"Are you sure?" Karin asked excitedly. Hitsugaya nodded.

"Positive."

"But," Renji protested, "there's no cave. Don't tell me that _this_ is the Dancing Rock!" Hanataro grinned.

"This boulder is concealing the entrance. Trust me, it's there." Renji shrugged then leaned forward and pressed against the boulder with all his might. With a feat of strength that should have been impossible for a mere mortal, he managed to push it away from its resting place, revealing a patch of dead grass, a startled ant colony, and a thin crevice, barely wide enough for a human to fit through. The four adventurers peered down the pitch black hole and stared into the nothingness.

"Damn," Renji said, visibly impressed. "Now that's a hole. HELLO!" he called, and his voice continued to echo for several minutes.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Karin asked eagerly. "Let's get moving!" And without further ado, she slid herself into the abyss.

"Ojosama!" Hanataro gasped. "At least bring a torch with you!" But whether his words reached her or not was unclear, because if she responded, they couldn't hear her.

"Ojosama!" Hanataro cried desperately. "What if something happened to her?" Hitsugaya patted him on the back.

"She is not the kind of girl who would allow herself to die in a black hole," he assured him. "You should know that better than anyone. Well, should we join her?" The others nodded, so they tied up the horses, lit a torch, and disappeared into the black depths.

**Just so you all know, I will be out of town and without internet access for the next two weeks, so there won't be an update at least until then. Maybe I'll get some writing done while I'm gone, but I have a lot of stuff to study (yes, while I'm on **_**vacation**_** no less. I really need to quit school), so no promises. Don't worry though, I will be back and posting as soon as I possibly can.**


	8. The Dancing Rocks

**I'm back! And I have the combination! (Sorry, Spaceballs reference, I couldn't resist :P) I managed to get some decent writing done while I was gone, so this chapter is extra long to reflect that. The next chapter should be up relatively soon too. I hope this chapter was worth the wait :)**

The fall to the ground lasted longer than any of them had anticipated. During the process, a rush of wind extinguished the torch, leaving then barreling blindly into the nothingness. After what seemed like an eternity, their bodies hit something solid. It screamed.

"Ow! Get your foot out of my face Renji!" Karin yelled.

"I'm not Renji," Hitsugaya replied. "And whose elbow is in my back?"

"That's not my elbow," Renji told him. "And since when did Chibi-chan have two heads?"

"Quit groping me you pervert," Karin retorted, attempting and failing to extract herself from the pile of discombobulated body parts.

"Ojosama!" Hanataro exclaimed in relief. "Thank goodness you're ok!"

"Of course I'm ok! Did you really think a fall like that could hurt me?" Hitsugaya smirked.

"Oi, can we get some light in here?" Renji barked. "Somebody still has something sticking into someplace where I don't want it. And my hand is numb."

"Thanks for the graphic description," Karin said sarcastically. "But I can't see a damn thing." There was a brief sound of scuffling, followed by the distinctive clack and spark of a flint stone, and the torch burst into life. Hanataro stood over the other three, holding the torch high and sighing deeply.

"How on earth did you all get so tangled?" he asked desperately, eyeing the mound of intertwined limbs.

"Don't…ask…me…" Karin grunted as she pushed hard against Renji's face in a more successful attempt at pulling her leg out from under Hitsugaya's stomach. It took a while, but eventually they managed to separate themselves.

"What possessed you to even think to bring flint, Chibi-chan?" Renji asked as he checked to make sure he hadn't donated any of his organs to someone else. "Not that I'm complaining mind you."

"I think the better question," Hitsugaya interposed, "is why we are all still alive. That was a serious fall." It was then that they realized that they weren't standing on solid bedrock as they has been expecting. The floor was composed of the most finely ground quartz sand any of them had ever seen. It was smooth as silk and delicate as lace and sparkled like diamonds in the reflection of the flickering torch light.

"It's beautiful," Hanataro marveled.

"I wonder how much I could get for this?" Renji pondered, scooping up a handful and letting it flow through his fingers like running water. "Just think of the high quality glass you could make with this."

"Worry about making money later," Karin told him. "Right now we have to find…"

BAM! The earsplitting crunch tore through the still air, causing all four of them to jump.

"What was that?" Hanataro cried, visibly shaking. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea.

"It's coming from this way," Hitsugaya directed. "Kid, hold the torch a little higher."

"I'm not going!" Hanataro stated nervously. "That thing sounded like it could kill someone." Karin shrugged.

"Suit yourself Nezumi-chan. Give me the torch." Hanataro began to pass the torch over when a second earth-shattering crash startled them, shaking the walls around them and causing the sand to tremble.

"Wait," Hanataro said pathetically. "Don't leave me alone in the dark. I'm coming." Renji slapped him on the back.

"Atta boy Chibi-chan!" he encouraged. "It's about time you grew a little backbone." Hanataro sighed in defeat and they began to travel cautiously in the direction of the noise.

On closer inspection, the cave looked as if it had suffered the wrath of a brutal army of ferocious, raging giants. The walls were riddled with spider web cracks, the clear result of multiple impacts with heavy objects traveling at astonishing speed. Even the sand on the ground was, according to Hitsugaya, the result of stones grinding against each other. The banging sounds only became louder and, as they got closer, they could hear other sounds: sharper slaps, like two stones clapping together, or the steady flow of a hail storm. Hanataro was petrified beyond recognition. Karin was shivering with excitement. Renji was eagerly calculating profits. Hitsugaya was decidedly curious. Together, they turned a corner and came upon the strangest sight any of them had ever beheld.

The rocks in the room were alive. In the center were a dozen or so enormous boulders, the size of baby elephants, dancing around each other in an unpredictable series of movements that occasionally resulted in an impact, hence the thundering bangs they had been hearing. Stones of every shape and size whizzed around the room, creating the appearance of an asteroid field. Along the walls, collections of small pebbles hopped up and down like Mexican jumping beans. Even the sand on the floor was quivering in anticipation.

"Wow," Renji exclaimed in amazement. That about summed it up. The rest of them were speechless. They stared with mouths hanging open at this unimaginable sight until a rock actually flew into Hanataro's like a suicidal fly, causing him to choke.

"They really exist," Karin said, her awe and exhilaration clear. "The Dancing Rocks actually exist!"

"You didn't think they did?" Hitsugaya teased, clapping Hanataro on the back to help him dislodge the stone that was embedded in his throat. "Then what'd you drag us out here for?" Karin glared at him.

"What makes them _do_ that?" Renji wondered, still in shock. Hanataro, who had finally coughed up the offending rock, picked up several smaller pebbles from the ground and examined them intently. He felt the surface, measured their weight in his hand, and brought them together and apart several times. Suddenly, his face, which had been contorted with concentration, lit up with astounding eureka.

"They're made out of magnetite!" he exclaimed. "It all makes sense now."

"Manga-who?" Renji asked, scratching his head. "That sounds like some fat woman's clothing." Karin snickered. Hitsugaya rolled his eyes.

"Idiot," he mumbled under his breath.

"Magnetite," Hanataro explained, "is a rare rock type that occurs naturally in some areas. Ordinarily it's only present in small quantities, so to have so much of it in such a pure form is highly unusual. This may be the only place in the world to have such a high concentration. Magnetite contains charged magnetic particles that attract and repel each other depending on the direction they are oriented in. If the particles are dense enough, they can even overcome the pull of gravity and cause rocks of this size to move. I'm shocked. This is an incredible find!"

"This will make an amazing sword!" Karin said eagerly.

"This will make me so much money," Renji responded greedily. Karin slugged him.

"Ow, what was that for?" he shot, rubbing his arm. "I've got to make a living too."

"So now what?" Hitsugaya asked, trying to bring everyone back to the topic at hand. "We've got to get these rocks out of here or this was all a waste." Hanataro held up a large, empty sac.

"Will this help?" he offered.

"Damn, you thought of everything, didn't you Chibi-chan?" Renji said, ruffling Hanataro's hair.

"I like to be prepared," Hanataro replied meekly. They kneeled down and scooped as many rocks as would fit into the bag and their pockets. At Renji's insistence, they added a decent amount of the flawless sand.

"But you're carrying it," Karin insisted. When the bag was full to bursting and their pockets couldn't hold any more, they headed back to the entrance. They stood at the spot where they had landed and gazed up at the sliver of light above them that represented the outside world.

"Um," Hanataro began, voicing the question they were all too afraid to ask. "How do we get out of here?" As if in response, the bag over Renji's shoulder began to quiver and shake and rise into the air like an inflating balloon.

"What the…," Renji exclaimed, completely startled.

"Everyone grab onto Abarai!" Hitsugaya instructed, and no sooner had they done so, then the bag in Renji's hand shot up into the sky, carrying them with it. It flew through the air as they climbed higher and higher, until it sailed through the fissure in the earth and attached itself to the boulder that had previously guarded the entrance, wedging its four passengers in the hole as it did so.

They pushed and pulled and yanked and kicked and finally managed to crawl out of the crack with all their pieces intact.

"That was by far the best thing I've ever done!" Renji stated, grinning from ear to ear. "We flew! We actually flew! Oh this will be a tale for the ages!"

"That was totally amazing!" Karin agreed. "Although I could have done without getting stuck to you for the second time today. You really need a bath."

"I'm never going down there again," Hanataro said with relief. "I think my lifespan's been cut in half."

"At least it was a good way to kill some time," Hitsugaya said with a shrug.

"Is that all this was?" Karin asked, annoyed. "At least admit that it was a little exciting."

"I guess a little," he replied with a smirk. Karin grinned.

"Good enough I guess."

Renji gave the bag an almighty heave and somehow managed to pry it off of the boulder, which was apparently also composed of magnetite, then they piled into the wagon and headed back to town.

oooooooooooooooooooo

The old man looked as though he would never speak again. They were in a swordsmith's shop, the best in town according to the local gossip, and had just presented the swordsmith with the bag of dancing rocks. The swordsmith looked to be about 200 years old, with a wizened face as dense as tree bark and jet black eyes that glittered like coal. He had no hair on his head, but plenty in his ears, and his clothes were covered in ash and small burns.

"Maybe we should have picked someone with a stronger heart," Karin whispered as they watched the man struggle to remember how to breathe. "Hey, ojisan, are you alright?" The man looked up at them as if they were royalty.

"I never expected that I would have the pleasure of seeing a dancing rock in my lifetime. Oh, the kamis have been kind to me, yes they have."

"That's nice," Karin said impatiently. "Now will you make be a katana?" The man gazed at her with reverence.

"I'll forge you whatever you wish!" he gushed. "Anything at all! Oh, to have the honor of working with this metal, what joy, what jubilation! Now I can die happy. What would you like my dear?"

"Twin katana's," Karin replied. "About as long as these." She placed the broken fragments of her former swords on the table. The swordsmith studied them for a moment, then picked up the dancing rocks with the care one would give a small child and went to the back of his shop to begin his work.

"Don't you think he's a little too excited?" Karin noted. Renji snickered.

Several hours later, the old man emerged beaming like the summer sun despite the streaks of soot and sweat that caked his face.

"It is complete miss!" he declared with pride. "The finest achievement of my meager life. What a privilege this was. May these swords protect you well on your journey. They are a fine pair of blades." They certainly were a fine pair of blades. They were sleek and elegantly smooth. The magnetite produced a rich obsidian color that reflected Karin's face in its flawless surface.

"Thanks!" Karin said gratefully, admiring the handiwork. "I really missed holding a sword in my hand. I hope these are worth all the trouble. C'mon Renji, let's take them for a spin."

"Oh yeah!" Renji agreed. They thanked the swordsmith again and found themselves an open space to practice in. Renji drew his sword and without warning, he charged. Karin whipped out her new swords with well honed reflexes and held them up to block the attack. But it never came. As soon as Renji's sword came within a few inches of Karin's blade, it stopped in midair, as if it had already made contact with something extremely solid, then suddenly repelled of its own volition.

"What the heck's going on?" Renji bellowed angrily, as he whacked against the force field repeatedly to no avail, his sword bouncing up as down like he was hitting rubber.

"Neat!" Karin exclaimed. "What was that rumor? That other swords slide off of them like butter? I guess it really works."

"How do they do that?" Renji wondered as he pushed harder and harder, never once making contact with the surface.

"It's because they're made of magnetite," Hanataro told them. "That swordsmith was a master craftsman. The magnetic particles in the metal are oriented so that all the positive poles point inward and all the negative poles point outward. Because of that, the sword repels all other metal. Like the steel in your sword." Renji scratched his head in utter confusion.

"Well that's just stupid," Karin declared. "What good is a sword that can't be touched? It's like cheating. There's no point in fighting if there's no risk. I don't want them. Renji, take this." She handed over one of the swords. "Make yourself useful and go sell this thing. I'll buy some real swords with the profit." Hanataro's jaw dropped.

"After all that you're just going to _sell_ it!" he gasped, sighing deeply. "Ojosama, you're going to kill me one of these days." Hitsugaya smirked.

"A true warrior doesn't cut corners. Right?" Karin smiled at him.

"I'm glad you understand Toushiro. Renji, get to work. Sake's on me tonight!"

**For the record, magnetite is an actual rock, but I don't think it would ever dance around like this. Although, magnets do strange things when they are strong enough, so you never know. **


	9. Old Friends

**Just to clarify, because a lot of people seemed to misunderstand, in the last chapter Karin only sold one of the swords, not both. I'm not telling you if that is an important fact or not, but I just wanted to clear up the confusion :P**

The temperature dropped steadily as the days passed. The ground froze and they were greeted each day with a thin layer of frost that caused their blankets to crackle and pop like rice crispies. The sharp air chilled their lungs and made waking up in the morning even more difficult. Days became shorter, so it was progressively harder for them to travel long distances. Renji caught a cold and they spent several days holed up in a cave drinking hot water and eating a progressively dwindling supply of rice porridge.

"We need food," Karin insisted when Renji could finally breathe again. "Or we're all going to starve to death." Hitsugaya knew of a small village not too far away, so they packed up and rode out, determined to reach their destination before the sun set. The pale winter light was just beginning to dwindle as the ochre rooftops and candlelit lanterns of the houses below came into view.

"Food!" Renji cried eagerly as he urged the horses into a gallop. The village was nestled comfortably in a valley lined with ginko trees, some of which still clung vainly to a few pathetic yellow and browning fan shaped leaves. It was quaint and quiet.

Too quiet.

"Where is everyone?" Karin wondered as they wandered the deserted streets. "It's not even dark yet." They walked down road after road but saw no one. If there hadn't been a lantern outside every door and a light in every window, they would have thought it was a ghost town.

"This is creepy," Karin said. Hanataro nodded fervently.

"I don't remember it being like this," Hitsugaya told them. "Not that I've been here recently or anything."

A door opened behind them and they turned around to face a young man with a shiny bald head, oversized kimono, and a wicked smile. His facial features were rough, as if they had been hewn from a block of raw wood with a dull knife. He was clutching an ominous looking spear which he took great pains to display prominently.

"Oi, you guys travelers?" he asked darkly. "This ain't a town you just stroll through. If I were you, I'd turn tail and…"

"Ikkaku?" Renji interrupted. The bald man stared Renji down like a distrusting rat and his eyes widened.

"Renji?" he asked, dropping his guard. The two took a moment to confirm their suspicions, then they were slapping each other on the back like long lost brothers.

"Renji, how's it hanging?"

"Heavy man. You're the absolute last person I expected to see. What the heck are ya' doing all the way out here?"

"Kira, the bumbling idiot, got himself into a bit of trouble with some shady get rich quick scheme, so we're here to sort it out. But man, it's been ages. Last time I saw ya', you was peddling shoes to ol' ladies. Oh, we picked up a new chick by the way. She's hot as hell but even deadlier than the devil, so watch your back if you know what I mean." He nudged Renji in the ribs and Renji laughed.

"Thanks for the warning man. Not that I would expect any less of a woman who could hang out with you lot." Ikkaku grinned.

"Man, I've missed your sorry self. Looks like you got yourself a new posy too. But come on, let's get inside. The gang'll want to see ya' and staying out in public after hours ain't a great idea around here until you're up to snuff." They followed Ikkaku into a small, two-room flat. A pot of fresh stew was bubbling vociferously on a charcoal brazier against the far wall, the warm aroma filling the room and making a decent attempt at covering the lingering scent of old sweat and dirty feet. They were so hungry their mouths watered anyway. Most of the front room was occupied by a splintered and stained table made of unpainted, untreated wood that was littered with empty sake bottles, dried rice flecks, and nut shells. A wrinkled futon lay unceremoniously over most of the available floor space, and on top of it, a young girl of about eight with shocking pink hair and a perfectly round face dosed noisily, curled up like a well fed cat. Dissatisfied grumbling and moaning was audible from the adjacent room, as well as a slew of cooed, comforting words.

"Now this is my kind of place!" Karin said joyfully, grinning from ear to ear. Hanataro groaned.

"Oi, Yumichka!" Ikkaku yelled. "We've got four more fer dinner."

"Ikkaku!" Yumichka whined, appearing in the doorway. He had shoulder length, shimmering hair, an extraordinarily wide mouth, and compassionate eyes that were, nevertheless, obviously annoyed. His appearance contrasted sharply with Ikkaku's, as his kimono was new, meticulously cared for, and fit him so well it was as if it was an extension of his own skin. "How many times do I have to tell you not to add people to the guest list after I've already started cooking…Renji!" he declared, startled. "How absolutely lovely to see you. It's been what, two years?"

"At least," Renji replied. "Yachiru hasn't aged a day though," he observed, indicating the pink cat in the corner.

"Don't let her hear ya' say that," Ikkaku advised. "She's only gotten wilder with age. Zaraki's the only one who can control her nowadays."

"Some things never change," Renji reminisced, grinning broadly.

"Dinner's almost ready, but you have to wait until Zaraki returns to eat or there will be blood," Yumichka told them without a trace of sarcasm. "He and Matsumoto are out scouting at the moment. And who might you be?" he asked, indicating the clueless visitors. "I don't believe we've met. My name's Yumichka. The grumpy one is Ikkaku and the absolutely adorable little girl over there is Yachiru."

"Kurosaki Karin," Karin introduced herself. "Nice to meet you. This here is Hitsugaya Toushiro and Nezumi-chan." Hanataro groaned a little. "And it appears you already know Renji."

"These guys are pals of mine from way back," Renji explained. "They're merchants of a sort, but they stray a little farther from the law than I usually do if you get my drift. Good guys though. Damn good guys. A bit like a gang of Robin Hoods. They call themselves the elevens. Yachiru over there came up with the name for some reason no one can explain, and now they're stuck with it."

"Could be worse," Ikkaku interjected. "Her nickname for the gang we're chasing right now is the wonder bubbles." Renji cringed.

Suddenly the door burst open and in walked an enormous furry beast of a man with an aura of pure death and a murderous stare. He even smelled like blood. His face was sharp and scarred like cut stone and he wore an eye patch over one eye.

"Yumichka!" he bellowed in a voice that was entirely too loud for the situation. "Where's my dinner? I'm starving!" The pink ball in the corner opened her eyes and immediately shot across the room faster than a bullet.

"Ken-chan!" she squealed, making a beeline for the ax murderer. He lifted her gleefully onto his shoulder as if she was a well trained monkey.

"Yo Yachiru, have you been behaving?" he asked with the air of a grandfather to his favorite granddaughter.

"Yes!" she chimed, and Zaraki smiled widely.

"That's my girl," he said proudly.

"Oi, Zaraki, shove your fat butt over," demanded a woman's voice from behind the man's bulk. "It's freezing out here." Hitsugaya's head jerked up.

Zaraki moved inside and revealed an extremely tall and stunningly beautiful woman with silky, strawberry blond hair that danced and curled all the way down to her waist. Her perfectly straight nose accented her full, cherry red lips and dimpled cheeks. Pearly white teeth glistened when she laughed and her musical voice permeated the room, making it seem a little brighter than usual. She looked like a model and was horribly out of place in this filthy rat hole. She walked into the room like she was floating on air and noticed the guests immediately. Her face was surprised as she scanned over Renji, Hanataro, and Karin, but her eyes settled on Hitsugaya.

"Tai…" she began, but was rapidly interrupted by both the harsh look Hitsugaya shot her and by Zaraki's loud voice.

"Renji!" he barked. "Where the heck did you come from?" He slapped Renji on the back so hard he smashed his face solidly into the table.

"Nice to see you too Zaraki," Renji grinned, rubbing his bruised forehead. "And Yachiru of course." Yachiru clapped her hands excitedly. "I should be asking you the same question. You guys are a bit far from your turf."

"We'll explain everything, but first let's eat!" Ikkaku said, rubbing his belly greedily. "Oi, Kira, get your sorry self in here and say hi to Renji!" A man emerged from the adjoining room, and it was instantly apparent that he had been the source of the whining from earlier. He had a long, drawn out face and extremely puffy eyes, as if he had been under enormous stress and shed more than his fair share of tears. Those eyes darted around nervously and he jumped at small noises. His plume of hair stuck strait up, evidence of having had his fingers run constantly through it.

"Renji. It's great to see you again," he said without conviction, as if all of his attention was elsewhere and he didn't have any room to spare for a long lost friend.

Yumichka placed the pot of stew and several bottles of sake on the table and a raucous, wild extravaganza, otherwise known as dinner with the elevens, began. There was unabashed laughter and jokes at each other's expense. Food was not limited to plates and mouths, but was prone to fly through the air without warning. Yachiru didn't stay in the same place for more than a minute, but bounced around over the table, under the table, through various people's laps, and even up and down the walls. And the noise level increased with each bottle of sake that was consumed. Renji introduced Karin, Hitsugaya, and Hanataro, who were greeted as if they were family.

"Karin here's deadly with a sword," he bragged. "But she's even deadlier with her mouth." Karin punched him. They subsequently met all the members of the elevens, including the model, Matsumoto, whom Renji had never met.

"It's nice having a woman's touch in the gang," Ikkaku said as he stuffed his face. "Although Yumichka's still a tab more feminine." He ducked as two cups of sake, courtesy of both Yumichka and Matsumoto hurled towards his face. "But she's been damn useful, let me tell ya'. Damn useful."

Renji asked again what they were doing so far from home and Zaraki whipped out his sword and pointed it at Kira's nose.

"This poor excuse for a warrior decided that he needed cash to impress some girl. So he…"

"That's not what happened!" Kira piped up, then shrank at the look Zaraki gave him.

"Oh really?" Zaraki replied, a horrible, twisted grin on his face. "Then explain." Kira gulped.

"Well, it's true that there's a girl," he began, and was temporarily interrupted by an onslaught of jeers and catcalls. "We want to get married, but her family won't let her, so I thought if I could make some money and show that I can support her that maybe I could get permission. Only…"

"Only his idea of making money was peddling fake artwork for some sleazy two-timing weasel," Ikkaku butt in. "We kept telling 'em he was an idiot, but he was too lovesick to see reason. We thought he was busted for sure when he sold this one piece to a government official, so we insisted that he take his cash and back the heck out. But when he finally got paid…"

"They gave him this," Matsumoto continued, slapping a handful of coins on the table. Yachiru pounced on one and held it up to a candle to admire the reflection. Hitsugaya picked one up and observed it carefully.

"Counterfit," he concluded.

"Exactly tai…ah, Hitsugaya-san," Matsumoto quickly corrected herself.

"So we came out here to get Kira's loot and teach those poor fools a lesson for messing with the elevens," Zaraki finished, slamming his fist on the table triumphantly.

"That's right Ken-chan!" Yachiru cheered, throwing rice in the air like confetti.

"We finally found where they're stashing themselves," Ikkaku told them. "Tomorrow night we're hitting hard. You guys in?"

"You bet!" Renji replied.

"Absolutely," Karin agreed. "You're helping too Nezumi-chan," she ordered. Hanataro sighed.

"I figured as much Ojosama," he said dejectedly. All eyes turned towards Hitsugaya.

"So are you in or what?" Karin asked. Hitsugaya's eyes flickered briefly towards Matsumoto before he found Karin's gaze.

"I'm in," he told her.

**I just can't write a HitsuKarin without Matsumoto. I wasn't originally going to use her because I wanted to write with different people, but I love writing with her way too much to cut her out completely. Don't worry, everything will get explained eventually. This story still has a long way to go.**


	10. The One He Trusts

**This chapter is a little short, but I felt that if I added anything else to it I would ruin it. I think you'll understand what I mean when you read it. I hope you like it, because it was incredibly difficult to write, but I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I hope you are too :P**

It was several hours before Hitsugaya and Matsumoto found a chance to talk. There was barely enough floor space for the elevens, and with the addition of Karin and company, the room was crammed like a can of frustrated sardines who kicked and pushed and threatened each others' lives as they tried to find a bit of floor space that wasn't already occupied by somebody's else's body parts. It took ages for everyone to fall into a deep enough sleep that Hitsugaya felt it was secure enough to escape. When Zaraki let out a hideous snore that actually shook dust from the rafters and nobody stirred, he decided that it was safe. They sat on the roof, gazing out over the sleeping homes, watching as their breaths curled into puffs of smoke in the frosty night air. It was a cloudless evening and the pale stars and paper thin crescent moon seemed as lifeless and rueful as the mood.

"It's been a long time taicho," Matsumoto began, intruding on the precarious silence.

"It has," Hitsugaya agreed. "Almost ten years. You look well."

"You do too. You've grown up. You were just a kid the last time I saw you. I was worried about you you know, but I guess I didn't need to bother. Where have you kept yourself all this time?"

"Here and there. I don't really have a desire to settle anywhere permanently, so I've traveled up and down Japan, wandering more or less aimlessly. I find work where I can. It's been pretty boring actually, but I don't want too much excitement. I've survived just fine on my own."

"But you're not on your own," Matsumoto pointed out. "You have three companions now. I'll admit, I always wanted to see you again, but of all the ways I could have pictured our reunion, I would never have expected to find you traveling with others."

"It's just a job like any other," Hitsugaya replied nonchalantly. "Karin's paying me to tell her father I'm her fiancé." Matsumoto gaped at him.

"Really?" She burst out laughing, and the unnatural sound cut through the heavy night like a jolt of electricity. Hitsugaya hurriedly hushed her.

"If we get caught out here, it'll be your head," he reminded her. "I don't want _anyone_ to know that know each other. Got it?" Matsumoto did her best to get herself under control.

"Sorry taicho," she apologized. "I couldn't help it. A fiancé. That's a new one for you." Hitsugaya scowled.

"It's just a job," he reminded her. "It's not real or anything. And _don't _call me taicho. So what have you been up to?" he asked, hoping to change the subject. It made him uncomfortable.

"Well, after that night I actually managed to get myself to Edo," she began. "You were right, the city was so crowded I blended in just fine. I told people I was a dishonored samurai's widow so I couldn't go back home due to the shame and no one asked too many questions. Girls like that are a dime a dozen out there. I found a job as a barmaid to earn some money. The man I was working for was a retired samurai with no children and he wanted to pass his art on to someone, so I volunteered. He trained me to fight during the day when the bar was closed. I'm actually pretty good now believe it or not. Nothing compared to you of course, but I can protect myself just fine. I met the elevens about two years ago. They were in Edo on a job and picked my bar as their place to unwind every day, probably because my boss had a soft spot for Yachiru. We hit it off right away and when they found out I could fight, they offered to spar with me a few times. When they were ready to leave they asked if I wanted to come with them and well, here I am. I've really enjoyed my time with them. They're genuinely a good group once you get to know them. And fighting for a living really does beat serving sake and playing the samisen." She sighed. "If only I had known how to fight before…"

"It wouldn't have been your place," Hitsugaya interrupted. "Besides, no matter how good you might have been, there was nothing you could have done. Why do you think I put up with it for so long?" Matsumoto nodded, knowing he was right.

"You know, I never really got to thank you for that," she told him. "That night was so crazy and chaotic and in the shuffle I lost track of you, and then you just disappeared. It was only my faith in your skill that convinced me that you weren't dead."

"You don't need to thank me," he replied coolly. "There's nothing to thank me for. I did it as much for myself as I did for you. I'm just glad you survived." Matsumoto gave him a warm smile, then looked down at the sword by his side.

"You kept your word," she noted sadly. "It's still sealed."

"I told you it would be. I won't shed human blood again. That night was the last time."

They sat for a while, watching the silence, remembering slowly what it felt like to be in each others' company. It was a sensation of security and camaraderie that they couldn't feel in anyone else's presence. Despite the chill air, there was an atmosphere of warmth and comfort that only comes with the deep bonds one shares with a dear old friend. It had been so long since Hitsugaya had felt this way that he found it uncomfortable, as if it was someone else's emotions occupying his body. He let the memory of human affection soak in through his skin and digest in his brain. He wondered vaguely if his inability to trust anyone other than Matsumoto had been responsible for his distant attitude towards Karin. It was a connection he hadn't made before, but now, when faced with the evidence, he realized it was probably true.

"She's pretty, by the way," Matsumoto broke the stillness and wrenched Hitsugaya out of his self analysis. He raised an eyebrow. "That Kurosaki Karin. A little rough around the edges, but that's more your style. You like her don't you?" Hitsugaya didn't reply, but Matsumoto had long ago mastered the art of interpreting what he didn't say and she smiled.

"Hey taicho, I wonder what she would say if she heard about the time you…" Hitsugaya bolted to his feet, his nostrils flaring with rage, and his right hand reaching instinctively for his sword.

"If you say _one word_ about my past, so help me I will unseal this sword and remind you of what I am capable of!" His burning anger was almost visible and his hand was grasped so tightly around the hilt that his knuckles had turned as white as his hair. "And another thing. _Never_ call me taicho again. That name died that night along with that man. It's Hitsugaya Toushiro now, and don't you forget it!" Matsumoto gave him a look for pure pity. She fought a fierce internal battle but quickly decided that the truth was the best.

"He's…he's not dead tai…Toushiro," she said as gently as she could, as if a soothing voice would soften the blow of this earth shattering news. Hitsugaya's eyes were as wide as dinner plates.

"What?" he asked in a strangled voice, his whole body quivering.

"He's not dead," Matsumoto repeated, pleading with her eyes for him not to lose his cool. "The elevens do a fair amount of bounty hunting, so I see a lot of wanted posters. I saw one for him in a town far in the east. It was for a recent offense. He's still alive." Hitsugaya was at a loss for words. He dropped back down and buried his face in his hands as the impact of her statement hit him full force.

"You're _sure_?" he asked desperately. "You're absolutely positive it was him? You're not confusing him with someone else?" Matsumoto nodded.

"I'm sure. I'm so sorry taicho." In the distance the first rays of light peaked in over the broad mountain, bathing the world in dry, amber light, but Hitsugaya didn't see it. Nor did he hear the sounds of dogs barking and chickens clucking as the world around him rose to greet the dawn. He had gone numb to everything and anything and wasn't entirely sure when he would recover.

**Once again, I promise **_**everything**_** will be explained eventually, but I can't just give it all away at once or you'd have no reason to come back :P**


	11. Girl Talk

**Thanks guys for not getting angry at the short chapter. I'm glad you agreed with me. This one's longer, so don't worry :)**

Karin noticed Hitsugaya's somber mood and puffy, baggy eyes the moment she woke up, but with the limited amount of time she had to probe him and his naturally quiet personality, she gleaned next to nothing about their source. Yumichka whipped up a breakfast of rice and pickles and they gathered around the table to discuss a battle plan.

"So here's the deal," Ikkaku began. "The…ahem…wonder bubbles deal in all kinds of forgeries, from to rho to official documents, to art, to ancient texts. The authorities have been on their tail so they're secretive and mobile, but we finally managed to track 'em here, one step ahead of those brainless samurai. They've taken over this town as their home base, but they go out on 'business trips' to various towns and provinces so they're rarely all in the same place at the same time. Part of the reason it took us so damn long. That scumbag that stiffed Kira was just a lacky. There's about ten of 'em that flit in and out of here, and they're all miraculously here at the moment according to Zaraki and Matsumoto's info, so it's finally time to strike. Hit 'em at the source so no stragglers get left behind, know what I mean? They like to hang out at this one pub, so we thought we'd ambush 'em on their way home. Catch 'em with their pants down when they're all too drunk and wild to see straight. Matsumoto here's gonna infiltrate first as our Trojan horse. One of the guys has made a move on her more than once, so it shouldn't be too rough for her to get in their good graces and get 'em to let her join 'em on their walk home. Karin, as long as you're here, you should go with her. It'll look less suspicious if two women go in together, and if we can get two inside their circle, better for us. Yumichka and I'll go to the pub as patrons. Watch the girls' backs. If anything goes sour, we'll get the heck out of there and we call it off and regroup. If all goes well, we'll follow 'em out and ambush 'em just off 3rd street, where you lot'll be lying in wait. You'll be in three teams, Zaraki and Yachiru, Kira and the runt (Hanataro groaned), and Renji and Hitsugaya. Two teams'll wait across from each other and the third'll be a bit ahead. Yumichka and I'll take up the rear so we can trap 'em in a circle. Once we take 'em out, we loot the place for any cash that can actually be spent and hightail it out of this god forsaken mountain town. There ain't even a bounty on these useless scumbags so don't even think about trading 'em in for one. Everybody got it?" There was a collective grunt of affirmation and everyone scattered to begin preparations.

ooooooooooooooooooo

"Here, put this on," Matsumoto directed, tossing Karin a clump of silk. "You won't catch yourself a man in an old faded yukata." Matsumoto had chased all the men (and Yachiru) out of the back room so that she and Karin could prepare for the evening. The two sat on the unfinished wooden floor as Matsumoto rummaged through a bulging sack and extracted makeup and hair combs. The bundle she had thrown at Karin turned out to be a crystal blue kimono decorated with lush branches of brilliant jade green leaves and pale pink sakura pedals that snaked their way across the fluid surface like a climbing vine. Delicate silver thread traced the edges of each leaf and flower, giving them shadow and depth and making everything feel alive, as if it was really covered with blossoming sakura branches wet with fresh morning dew. Vibrant butterflies in every color of the rainbow fluttered among the blossoms, their wings so intricately embroidered that each slight movement of fabric gave the appearance of flapping wings. Karin was convinced they would simply fly away when she wasn't looking. It was a masterpiece.

"There is no way I'm wearing this!" Karin stated soundly. "I won't be able to move in it. And I really don't want to get blood on something like this. It looks insanely expensive. And besides, there is absolutely no way anything that belongs to you is going to fit me. You're like a whole head taller than me!" Matsumoto gave her a warm smile.

"That kimono is from my younger days. I was a bit shorter back then. A few tricks with the obi and you won't know the difference. Besides, you'll need the bulk of the extra fabric to hide your swords. You can't display them until the ambush starts or you'll blow our cover."

"Fair point," Karin grumbled. "But I don't have the slightest idea how to wear this thing." Matsumoto giggled as she helped Karin into her kimono. A furious battle then ensued over the makeup, but Karin lost and squeezed her eyes shut against the onslaught of powder and rouge.

"You haven't had much of a feminine influence have you?" Matsumoto observed as she brushed Karin's hackneyed hair.

"You can tell?" Karin replied sarcastically. "Yeah, I guess not. My mom died when I was really little and my dad and brother didn't know what to do with a baby girl, so they just raised me as a boy since it was the easiest solution. This is the first time I've ever worn makeup and a fancy kimono. It feels weird." Matsumoto giggled.

"But you can never forget that you _are_ a girl," she advised.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Karin blurted out, offended. "I'm not afraid of men!" Matsumoto shook her head.

"That's not what I mean. You don't seem the type to let men take advantage of you. I mean that being a woman can be an asset. Take tonight for example. The men are depending on us. We're the only ones who can pull this off and the job will be significantly easier if we're successful. But also," she paused, thinking back to her conversation with Hitsugaya the night before. "Never hesitate to take what you want. Sometimes, men can be forceful, or shy, or just plain idiots, but if there's something, or someone, that you want, don't be afraid to run after it with all your heart. That way, you won't have any regrets."

"Why are you telling me this?" Karin asked, confused by the tender look on the face of this woman she barely knew. It was a little off-putting. Matsumoto smiled gently.

"Because I admire you," she replied. "Because you're free to ride the wind. You seem loved by those around you and that's something not everyone has the luxury of having. And also…well…I guess you're kind of like the little sister I never had."

"But you're free too!" Karin protested. "The elevens don't seem like a particularly constricting group."

"It's true," Matsumoto agreed. "These past two years I've spent with them have been wonderful. They take care of their own and depend on each other. But it's not the same as what you've got. When you have a past like mine, you learn to appreciate things like love and friendship a whole lot more. There, all done!" she said with a flourish, placing a flower pin in Karin's hair. "What do you think?" Karin turned to face the mirror and it took her a moment to realize that the person looking back was herself. She had been transformed from a wild, rogue swordsman into a true beauty. The kimono swished and flowed like water over rocks, covering her feet and making her hands look small and dainty, words she would never have even considered using to describe them. Her long neck protruded elegantly from the embroidered collar and looked much more sensual that Karin had ever realized it could be. Matsumoto had tucked her ragged, crooked hair into a formal style, hiding the frayed edges into a firm bun decorated with various ornaments that sparkled against her raven locks. The makeup highlighted her obsidian eyes and brought out her lips and cheeks in a way Karin had only ever seen in paintings. She looked spectacular, as detailed as a china doll and as enchanting as the empress herself. Karin would have hated it if she hadn't been so impressed at Matsumoto's skill in being able to bring about such a transformation.

"How did you _do_ that?" Karin gasped, at a loss for words. "I don't even recognize myself." Matsumoto smiled and brushed a stray hair from Karin's shoulder.

"I used to be a geisha," she replied. "For as long as I can remember, I have been trained in the art of beauty. It was only after I left Gion that I learned how to use a sword, and it wasn't until I met the elevens that I was able to travel like this. Why do you think I even own something like this kimono? It doesn't exactly match the décor." Karin snickered.

"Why'd you stop being a geisha?" she asked, immensely curious about this woman's fascinating story. Matsumoto chose her words carefully, knowing that she was treading on dangerous ground if she wanted to keep Hitsugaya's secrets safe.

"Being a geisha is hard," she said at last. "It's not glamorous or beautiful. Some of the men are kind, but others are not, and there's very little protection when things go wrong. It's not easy to break out though, because there's often nowhere to run, or there are people who will pursue you to the ends of the earth. I was saved by the quick wits and incredible strength of a young boy I knew…but this is a story for another time," she finished rapidly, realizing she shouldn't go any further. "I'm sure they're waiting for us out there." Karin was reluctant to end the conversation, but she knew how important this attack was to everyone, so she agreed. She waited while Matsumoto got dressed, unwilling to leave the room alone. She was pretty sure she could guess how the men would react to her appearance, having spent more than her fair share of time among the worst of the breed due to her love of seedy bars, and she wasn't looking forward to it. She hoped that Matsumoto, who was a natural beauty without all the decoration, would take some of the heat off of her.

"Are you ready?" Matsumoto asked, now fully decked out in a pale yellow kimono lined with gold that shined like the sun. Karin took a deep breath and nodded.

"Here she is!" Matsumoto announced proudly, opening the door to reveal the new Karin. Karin cringed slightly. "What do you think?"

"Who's that?" Renji asked, clueless. "Wasn't it just you and Karin in there?"

"It's me you moron!" Karin spat, clearly annoyed. She didn't look _that_ different. Ok, well maybe she did, but he didn't have to point it out so bluntly.

"Well done Matsumoto," Ikkaku marveled, studying Karin like a piece of artwork. "You would never guess that there was a lethal weapon under all that silk."

"I guess I can take that as a complement," Karin grumbled, wondering not for the first time how she got dragged into this.

"Oh, Ojosama!" Hanataro gushed, hands clasped together in admiration and tears in his eyes. "You look absolutely _stunning_!" Oh if only your father could see you now, how proud he'd be!"

"I'm sure," Karin replied, rolling her eyes.

"How can there be someone in this house more gorgeous than me?" Yumichka whined. "I won't allow it! She must leave!" he demanded, but no one really paid any attention.

"You look…nice," Hitsugaya mumbled, averting his eyes. Karin felt her face become inexplicably warm at his words.

"Thanks," she replied awkwardly, hoping that the mountain of rouge Matsumoto had subjected her to was hiding any blush she may have.

"Is everybody ready?" Zaraki asked the room, entirely oblivious to Karin's change in appearance. "Let's go kill stuff!"

**So, I think this just adds to the complicated backstory, but it will get told in full at some point. Just not right now… (evil grin) :P**


	12. Showtime

They left the house in small groups so as not to arouse suspicion. First was Ikkaku, Yumichka, and Hanataro, who went to claim space in the bar prior to Karin and Matsumoto's arrival. Hanataro wasn't originally part of this unit, but he insisted that protecting Karin was his top priority and wouldn't hear otherwise. Next went Renji and Hitsugaya, followed quickly by Zaraki and Yachiru, and finally by Kira, who was kept under wraps as much as possible due to the fact that the wonder bubbles already knew who he was and was likely to be moved to action the minute they saw him. All three groups from the ambush team took different paths to stake out their locations. Karin and Matsumoto were the last to leave since their job was to act as the catalyst for the night's events. As they walked, Matsumoto gave Karin some last minute pointers.

"If you don't know what to say, just smile," she advised. "Men will melt like butter when a pretty girl smiles at them. Remember, you're trying to _seduce_ them, not pick a fight, so save any anger and harsh words until we meet up with the others. We can't take care of them alone."

"I know I know," Karin barked, clearly irked at having had the same comments drilled into her all day. "I get the point." Her new, non-magnetite swords were digging into her side, and she tried to shift them under her obi to no avail. She gave up, worried that if she pulled them too hard, the entire kimono might just fall off. "You know, Nezumi-chan could totally take care of the entire lot of them without them even knowing."

"And rob those testosterone ridden war mongers of their battle?" Matsumoto replied in mock shock. "I don't think so." Karin laughed out loud.

"At least there'll be sake," she conceited, more to herself than Matsumoto.

"That's the spirit! Well, this is the place." She had stopped in front of a rundown looking building with an illegible sign creaking ominously over the door. The sounds of breaking glass and unrefined laughter wafted through the door, along with the scent of unwashed bodies and dirty money. Karin grinned.

"At least the bar is perfect," she said happily. They entered the pub and Karin instantly felt at home. Broken furniture and empty sake bottle were scattered haphazardly across the floor that was sticky with everything under the sun. Raucous, unkempt patrons were scattered everywhere, shouting at each other in an attempt to be heard over the shouting. Karin stole a glance at Hanataro's face out of the corner of her eye and it took every ounce of willpower she possessed not to break down laughing at his obvious discomfort. Ikkaku and Yumichka blended in nicely. Ikkaku had a sake bottle in each hand and Yumichka was doing a drunken jig on the table. Karin and Matsumoto looked horrifically out of place in their fancy kimonos, but as they were women, no one really gave their appearance a second thought. They were too busy gawking. The girls headed to the bar and ordered drinks as Matsumoto surreptitiously pointed out their targets.

"Wonder bubbles at 4:00," she whispered with the pretense of reaching for a glass. "Pick any of them you like but ignore the other guys here. Don't get stuck with some useless bum." Karin nodded. She casually turned to study the group Matsumoto had indicated and could instantly tell why Yachiru had named them the wonder bubbles. They were all a bit too round for their own good. No sooner had she come to this spectacular realization, than two of them broke away and made a beeline towards them.

"Long time no see," one of them said to Matsumoto, leaning dramatically on his elbow. He was pox scarred and reeked of stale air and bad breath. "I thought you'd never give me the pleasure of your company."

"I was in the mood tonight," Matsumoto replied playfully, flashing the man the most seductive look Karin had ever seen on another human being. But she didn't have the opportunity to watch anymore, because the other man who had come over was attempting to engage her in conversation.

"I haven't seen you around here before nee-chan," he said in what he clearly thought was an irresistible tone. He had a sizable budda belly, not enough neck, and too much forehead. Beady eyes scanned her body hungrily, and clashed horribly with his bulbous nose that seemed like it was a foreign object glued to his face. His toupee was on backwards. The kimono he was wearing however, was exquisite, and even Karin's untrained eye could tell that it cost a sizable fortune.

"I'm just here visiting friends," Karin told the man in a desperate attempt to copy Matsumoto's tone of voice. As long as she was in this mess she would _not _be the weak link who forced them to call off the ambush. She contorted her face into the most alluring expression she could muster and hoped like hell that he bought it. He did.

"Well then, you should give me the pleasure of showing you around this evening." Karin decided that a girlish giggle was beyond her, so she settled for a shy nod and miraculously it worked.

It was significantly easier to attract a man than Karin had thought it would be. She didn't really have to do much but smile, drink the sake he bought for her, and laugh heartily at each horrendous joke he told. Her appearance did the rest. It wasn't exactly Karin's style, but twirling this pathetic excuse for a human being around her finger was fun in its own way. Matsumoto on the other hand, was a master. Having been trained as a geisha, she was born to play this role, and the pygmy she was toying with was dancing in the palm of her hand.

After what seemed like an eternity, the wonder bubbles in the corner decided that it was time to call it a night. Matsumoto led her man out with them, giggling and flirting. Karin gulped. This was her moment of truth.

"So what's the deal?" her prey asked her. "You got a place to stay or what? How's about you come back with me for the night eh?"

"I'd love to!" Karin replied, allowing her relief to show on her face, thinking that it fit well enough with this character she had adopted. As she followed the man out, she saw Ikkaku, Yumichka, and Hanataro pay their tab and she smiled to herself, stealthily reaching inside her kimono to grasp the hilt of her sword. The climax was near.

oooooooooooooooooooo

Hitsugaya and Renji took up their post at the corner of the main thoroughfare and 3rd street, Ikkaku's chosen battleground for the night's entertainment. Since they were new faces in town, and were therefore the least recognizable, they had the honor of triggering the signal. But for now, they had time to kill while Matsumoto and Karin did their work, so they hung in front of a fruit stand, perusing bruised apples and wilted yuzu as they waited for the moment to strike.

"So what'd you think of Karin's new look?" Renji asked as he studied an unidentifiable brown blob that the vender called a plum. "Pretty nice huh?" Hitsugaya shrugged, not really in the mood to have this conversation. His mind was too full of thoughts at the moment to deal with Renji's small talk. Especially this kind of small talk. He was immensely bothered by what Matsumoto had told him and try as he might he couldn't shake off the feeling of foreboding that smothered him like a dense fog. He also didn't entirely trust that Matsumoto would stay silent about his past, and the last thing he needed was Karin finding out. If he had any hope of maintaining any type of friendship with her, his past needed to stay hidden. He still hadn't entirely sorted out his feelings for her, and the number Matsumoto had done on her appearance did nothing to help things. He was convinced she had done it on purpose. Ok, scratch that. He _knew_ she had done it on purpose. Why else had she specifically put Karin in _that_ kimono? All of that piled on top of preparing mentally for the ambush meant that he had very little brain power to spare for Renji, particularly if the topic of conversation involved Karin.

"Man, but you're a lucky guy," Renji continued, oblivious to Hitsugaya's obvious attempt to avoid speaking. "You get to be her fiancé. I mean, sure it's only temporary and everything, but if I had a girl like that I'd never let her go."

"It's not like that," Hitsugaya denied, then wondered what black magic Renji had used to convince him to broach this subject even briefly. "I don't 'have' her or anything. I'm just in it for the money. Both she and I know that." Even as he said it though, he knew it was a lie. Sure, it had started that way, but now he wasn't so sure. Renji laughed.

"Well then, you won't mind if I make a move?" Hitsugaya scowled. Renji cuffed him on the shoulder. "I'm just kidding man. You've got to learn to take a joke one of these days or you'll never make it to Karakura in one piece. But seriously, she's quite a girl. If you're not careful, someone really might take her away from you."

"I _told_ you, we're not…"

"Yeah, sure whatever." Renji grinned knowingly. Hitsugaya scoffed.

They waited around for what felt like hours, grateful for the moonless night that would help them and their companions hide in the shadows. There were numerous false alarms as groups of rowdy drunks poured out of bars and meandered their way down the main street, but no one turned down 3rd and they were careful not to attack the wrong people and blow their cover.

At long last, Hitsugaya's perked ears detected Matsumoto's high pitched laughter coming down the street and he indicated to Renji to make himself scarce. The wonder bubbles finally appeared, Matsumoto and Karin in tow. Staying a decent distance behind them were Ikkaku, Yumichka, and Hanataro. They waited until they reached the designated point, then Renji let out a fierce battle cry and suddenly the wonder bubbles were being attacked from all sides. Zaraki burst out of a building in front of them, brandishing is sword wildly in all directions. Yachiru jumped off a rooftop and sunk her teeth deep into a man's head. Kira attacked from the right, Hitsugaya and Renji from the left, and Ikkaku, Yumichka, and Hanataro closed in from the rear, trapping them in on all sides. Not to be outdone, Karin and Matsumoto drew their swords and joined the fray from the inside, releasing the pent up irritation they had built up over the last few hours that they had spent entertaining these overgrown warts. The wonder bubbles were certainly surprised, but they weren't the powerhouse they were rumored to be for no reason. They were all armed and skilled and within seconds each of them had drawn swords, daggers, and various other weapons and a furious battle royal ensued. It was a blur of flying steel and needles, fists and teeth, blood and bruised bones. The wonder bubbles put up a decent fight, but the elevens were a formidable group, and with the addition of Karin, Renji, Hitsugaya, and Hanataro to their ranks, they were unbeatable.

At long last, the final wonder bubble fell to the ground, courtesy of a well aimed jab to the gut from the hilt of Hitsugaya's sword, and the victors gathered together to survey the damage. They had managed to subdue all ten of the wonder bubbles, but they were not without injury. Ikkaku had a nasty gash on his cheek and Kira was clutching a broken hand. Matsumoto was limping slightly and Renji was bleeding steadily from a wound on his arm. But all in all, it was extremely successful.

"Well done men!" Ikkaku praised as they cheered joyously and slapped each other on the back in celebration. "Now let's get these losers tied up and go collect our reward. Yumichka, I need you to…" but whatever it was that Yumichka had to do was lost as all the color drained out of Renji's face and he collapsed on the ground in an immobile heap.

**And you thought the suspense was over! :P I really don't enjoy torturing you, honestly I don't…I think…**


	13. Moss Toads

**I feel like this chapter is a little short, but it's been a crazy week and I really wanted to get this posted, so here it is. I hope the content makes up for it :P**

"Renji!" Karin cried, rushing to his side. "Oi Renji! Get up!" No response. "Nezumi-chan!" she said desperately, but Hanataro was already on it. He rolled Renji on his back and examined the cut on his hand while the elevens nervously gathered around.

"This wound isn't so bad," he noted. "It's not deep and it's already stopped bleeding. He hasn't lost too much of blood. This must be poison." He studied Renji's face, eyes, and tongue, listened to his heart and pulse, and inspected the wound again.

"Well?" Karin asked impatiently. "What is it?"

"I…I don't know," Hanataro admitted. "I've never seen or heard of anything like this."

"You don't know!" Karin screamed. "You don't _know_? You're the number one poison expert in the Eastern Provinces! If you don't know, who will?" Matsumoto surreptitiously nudged Hitsugaya in the back. He fought a momentary internal battle as jealousy threatened to overtake his sense of propriety, but he swallowed his pride and knelt at Renji's side. He took a precursory glance at his eyes and complexion.

"It's moss toad poison," he recognized almost instantly. "He'll be alright if we can get him an antidote. But we don't have long. A few hours at the most, or the neurologic damage will be permanent. There might be some stocked at the wonder bubble's hideout, but it's much safer if we make our own. Is there a lake nearby?"

"Yeah," Ikkaku replied, scratching his head. "About a mile out. Head out of town along the main road and when it forks turn left and into the brush. It shouldn't be too hard to find. But what do ya' want with a lake?"

"I'm going to get the antidote," Hitsugaya answered. "Kid, I'm leaving Abarai to you. Keep his head elevated and cool him down as much as you can."

"Slow the spread," Hanataro understood. "Leave it to me. Ikkaku-san, Yumichka-san, help me get him home please."

"Sure thing," Ikkaku agreed. "Zaraki, you've got the wonder bubbles?"

"Leave the trash to me," he answered hungrily, greedily surveying the spread of unconscious bodies as he cracked his knuckles menacingly. Yachiru cheered for no apparent reason.

"I'll raid the house," Kira offered. "We have to do it before sunrise or we'll lose our chance."

"I'll help," Matsumoto added.

"I'm going with Toushiro," Karin declared. Having agreed upon tasks, everyone began to work as Hitsugaya and Karin raced back to the wagon, unhitched Renji's two horses and set off at a gallop. They followed Ikkaku's instructions until they reached the fork, then left the main road for the wild mountain terrain. It was pitch black and nearly impossible to see, and the horses almost tripped more than once on rouge rocks blocking their path, but they were in a hurry, so they urged them to canter as fast as they could.

"Why are we going to a lake?" Karin yelled over the rhythmic pounding of hooves on grass.

"Moss toads live in high altitude lakes," Hitsugaya called back. "The poison is made from their skin, but the antidote comes from their saliva. It's a wonderful little contradiction." At long last, they saw it; a nightmarish oasis looming in front of them. Sulfurous smoke rose from the boggy surface as the warm water reacted with the harsh chill of the night, lacing the air around them with the stench of rotten eggs. They followed the smoke signal to the lake and dismounted. It was a shallow marsh that reeked of decaying leaves and mildew. A myriad of frogs and insects plopped into the water off the lazy lily pads, disturbing the still, inky surface. Reeds and cattails decorated the edges, blurring the line between the water and the muddy land. The din from the insects was deafening, filling the air with eerie cries that felt suffocating under the thick, moonless sky. Karin took one look at her surroundings, then undid her obi and removed the decorative kimono, leaving on just her thin white under-robe. She shivered slightly in the freezing air and hugged her arms to her chest for warmth.

"What…?" Hitsugaya exclaimed, thankful for the second time that night that it was dark. It hid the blush he could feel creeping into his cheeks.

"I'm not going to go wade in the pond muck in that kimono," Karin answered his unasked question. "It belongs to Matsumoto. Now let's find some moss toads!" Hitsugaya did his best to cover for his discomfort by returning quickly to the task at hand. He handed her a piece of cloth.

"Here. Wrap your hands in this. The skin of the moss toad is where the poison comes from, so it's toxic. Just a small touch won't do any permanent damage, but it will leave your hands tingling for a few days, so try not to touch them directly. Moss toads like to sit on the sides of rocks. Because they blend in well with the lichen, they're hard to see. For the level of poison Abarai has, I'd say we need about ten toads to be safe. Here's one." He went over to an obscure mound and lifted up what Karin was convinced was a hunk of dirt until it croaked. The toad did indeed look exactly like a mossy rock, with dark green fuzz trailing along its back, coating its mud brown, slippery skin. Hitsugaya placed it carefully in a bag.

They began to search. Finding the toads was difficult, just as Hitsugaya had said. Karin was burning with a thousand questions. She had refrained from asking them before as Renji's safety was more important, but now that they were alone and actively working towards an antidote, she couldn't resist any longer.

"Are you a doctor?" she asked as casually as she could, attempting to turn her intense interest into polite small talk.

"No," Hitsugaya replied. "I don't know the first thing about medicine."

"Then where'd you learn so much about poison? Even Nezumi-chan couldn't figure out what this was, but you knew immediately." Hitsugaya shrugged.

"Just something I picked up."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. I've been a traveler for a long time, I've learned unusual things along the way…"

"Knowledge of obscure poisons is _not_ something you just pick up!" Karin roared, breaking her calm facade at his constant elusiveness. "If Nezumi-chan hasn't heard of moss toad poison than where the heck did you? Why do you absolutely refuse to talk about yourself?"

"Why does it matter to you so much?" Hitsugaya shouted, finally losing his temper. "If you want someone who loves talking about his past, then why don't you go get yourself engaged to Abarai? It's clear that you…"

POW! Hitsugaya tumbled backwards into the muck as Karin slugged him as hard as she could. She was shaking with rage and fury.

"And just what the _hell_ is that supposed to mean?" she barked, fuming. "Since when does Renji have anything to do with this? I asked about _you_, not him, because I want to know about _you_! What's so wrong with that?" Hitsugaya spit out a mouthful of pond scum and looked up at the erupting volcano above him. His cheek was throbbing like mad, but in all the turmoil he hardly noticed it. He hated the thought of admitting why he was so upset, but he figured it would get her off the topic of his past, and anything was safer than that.

"I just don't like watching my fiancé fuss so much over another guy," he mumbled, embarrassed that he was saying something so pathetic out loud. If Karin was stunned by his words, she was even more thoroughly surprised to find that she was blushing. Sure, they had played with the fiancé thing to death, but this was the first time that it didn't feel like a joke, and it was strange. Her heart softened slightly as she lowered her raised fist and held it out to him instead.

"Come on," she said, trying to cover for her anger. "Let's just find those toads and get home. It stinks here." Hitsugaya nodded and took her hand. It was surprisingly warm considering how cold the night was and how little she was wearing, and it was completely callused from all her sword fighting. His own hand was coated with mud and grime from the bottom of the swamp, but despite the unusual circumstances, a jolt of electricity shot through their clasped fingers as they realized that this was the first time they had really had any genuine physical contact. Hitsugaya stood and held onto her hand slightly longer than was necessary.

"Um, I think I see a moss toad," he said in a vain attempt to cover his awkwardness, loosening his grip on her fingers. He trudged through the filthy water and deftly scooped up the creature. "How many do we have now?"

"Uh, seven," Karin answered, glad for the return to normal conversation after such a charged moment. "We're getting close." It took them a little longer, but they finally managed to reach their quota. They climbed onto the horses and galloped back to town just as the stars began to fade from the eastern sky.

**You've all been clamoring for a HitsuKarin moment, so here it is. Yay for being romantic in a swamp. Also, moss toads are entirely something I made up, so if they actually do exist (which I highly doubt they do) then I apologize if I got my facts horribly wrong.**


	14. A Frustrating Match

"How's Renji?" Karin asked, bursting into the elevens' hideout. Renji was lying on a futon in the corner, covered in wet cloths in an attempt to keep him cool despite his rising fever. The elevens were all crowded around with worried expressions.

"What the hell happened to you?" Ikkaku inquired, indicating Hitsugaya's muck covered clothes and his rapidly swelling cheek. "You get attacked by a swamp creature or something?"

"I fell," he said sharply. "Now is not the time for stories. Abarai's status?"

"He's breathing normally," Hanataro replied. "But the poison's still spreading. I'm having a hard time bringing his temperature down." Hitsugaya knelt at Renji's side and studied him briefly.

"It's still reversible," he observed. "But we have to work fast. Kid, lend me your medicine kit." Hitsugaya and Hanataro set up shop on the kitchen table. As the anxious elevens (and Karin) peered over their shoulders, Hanataro mixed various ingredients while Hitsugaya performed the meticulous, and rather revolting process of extracting moss toad saliva from ten extremely unhappy toads. He was a master with his hands and was quick and adept, as if this procedure was as second nature to him as breathing. Karin was dying to know where he learned all this, but especially after the fight in the swamp, she held her tongue, more concerned about Renji at the moment than satisfying her curiosity. At the same time, she couldn't deny that she was unwaveringly impressed. She had grown up with Hanataro and knew how much time and energy he devoted to learning medicine. Mastering this art was no small feat, and Hitsugaya was clearly exquisitely skilled, maybe even more so than Hanataro.

"It's done," Hitsugaya announced at last, holding up a small vial of a pale yellow liquid that was as viscous as maple syrup. "Karin, help me a moment will you?" Karin held Renji's head still as Hitsugaya gently eased the antidote down Renji's throat. There followed an extremely tense moment as everyone waited for Renji to wake up like Rip van Winkle.

"Well?" Karin prompted nervously. "Did it work?"

"It worked," Hitsugaya assured her, and the crowd released a collective sigh of relief. "But it will take a while before he's fully recovered. Let him sleep for now. He'll probably wake up in a few hours and he'll feel really dizzy, so Yumichka-san, please prepare something warm for him to drink. Ikkaku-san, can you grab some blankets? His body temperature's still elevated, but we need to warm him up now or he'll freeze as the fever breaks." Everyone scurried to follow Hitsugaya's directions and there was pandemonium as every sheet and blanket in the house was collected and heaped onto Renji's lifeless form. Yumichka raced around the tiny kitchen, grabbing everything edible he could find and shouting out painfully each time he realized an ingredient was missing. Yachiru and Zaraki sat in the corner, enjoying the spectacle. In the shuffle, Matsumoto managed to whisper in Hitsugaya's ear,

"Way to take charge taicho. And I love the new look by the way. Lover's quarrel?" Hitsugaya scowled.

"Hey," Zaraki boomed. "As long as we're waiting, why don't we put this new girl to the test?" He drew his sword, a crazed gleam in his eye. "You wanna spar?" A smile spread all the way across Karin's face.

"Absolutely!" she replied eagerly. None of the elevens were willing to miss this, so they poured outside and formed a ring around the circling vultures.

"Ready?" Karin asked. Zaraki grinned maniacally, then attacked. Karin deftly blocked his first swing, then returned with an upward thrust of her own. Zaraki swatted her away like a fly, then slashed repeatedly, pushing Karin backwards. Not to be outdone, Karin parried each swing with one sword and returned with an onslaught of her own with the other. Zaraki was incredibly skilled, but Karin was up to the challenge, and fought him evenly.

"This is getting interesting," Zaraki said hungrily, licking his lips in anticipation.

"I'm just getting warmed up," Karin cried before launching her next attack. The elevens cheered excitedly as the battle progressed. Zaraki bore down on her like a crazed animal, but Karin used the size difference to her advantage, slipped between his legs and spun around, her sword firmly attached to his throat.

"You know this ain't the end, right?" he threatened, raising his sword high.

"Oh yes it is," Ikkaku announced, jumping into the fray. "You've hogged her long enough. It's my turn now!" Zaraki scoffed.

"As if you're strong enough to take her," he mocked. "I'd like to see you try." Zaraki left the field as Karin and Ikkaku faced off. After Ikkaku went Yumichka, Matsumoto, and Kira. Zaraki had a second go. Each of the elevens were excited for the chance to face a new sparring partner, and Karin was more than up to the challenge.

"You're not interested in sparring Toushrio?" Matsumoto asked as casually as she could, watching as Karin easily deflected a swing powerful enough to fell a moderately sized tree.

"It's rather difficult to spar with a sealed sword, don't you think?" he replied lightly, indicating his own.

"Your skills will get rusty if you don't practice."

"And just what makes you think I have any skills?" he said darkly, glaring at her ever so slightly out of the corner of his eye with a look that clearly screamed, 'don't get any closer to the fact that we know each other.' Matsumoto shrugged.

"I just thought that everyone else had a turn so maybe you'd like one. You can borrow my sword if you want." Hitsugaya scowled.

"I don't want to touch an unsheathed sword," he mumbled so that only Matsumoto could hear. "Lay off me." Matsumoto pondered this for a moment.

"Yo, Ikkaku!" she called. "Lend me your spear!"

"Huh?" Ikkaku wondered stupidly. "Whadaya want my spear for?"

"Just do it," she replied impatiently. Ikkaku threw his long wooden spear at her and she caught it deftly and held it out to Hitsugaya.

"Why don't you use this?" she offered. "You can even use the blunt end if you want." Hitsugaya considered this. A wooden weapon wasn't the same as a steel one. It wasn't sharp and would only be deadly if he landed a proper wallop to the head. This, he could use.

"Mind your own business," he scoffed, grabbing the spear and flipping it upside down so that the blade pointed towards the ground. Matsumoto smiled cheerfully. Hitsugaya stepped into the ring. Karin and Zaraki were at opposite ends, planning their next attack, but they paused as they saw Hitsugaya come between them.

"Mind if I have a spar?" he asked. Karin's eyes widened, then she grinned broadly.

"I thought you'd never ask!" she said eagerly. "But what's with the upside down spear?"

"Just thought I'd give it a try," he replied calmly. Karin looked confused, but the thought of sparring with Hitsugaya was too exciting to let it bother her. Zaraki scoffed and left the ring, leaving Karin and Hitsugaya in the center.

"Attack me with whatever you've got," Hitsugaya said, and Karin didn't need to be told twice. Tired as she was from sparring so many matches in a row, she felt a new rush of energy as she raced towards Hitsugaya, swords held high, ready to slice him from both sides. At the last second, Hitsugaya jumped, leaping above Karin's blades and over her shoulders, landing behind her with the grace of an eagle. Karin was momentarily stunned by the impressive move, but her adrenalin had kicked in, and she whirled around with a powerful swing directed to where Hitsugaya should have been, but he had already moved out of arms' reach. She jabbed forward, but Hitsugaya slid back, again effortlessly evading her. No matter what Karin threw at him, he avoided it with the ease of a snake. Karin had never sparred someone so frustratingly fluid, and to make matters worse, he never attacked. Not once. He held the spear almost as an afterthought as he danced his way around the ring, sometimes giving Karin a wide berth, sometimes missing her sword by less than an inch, but never once allowing her to make any type of contact. Eventually, Karin was utterly fed up.

"What's with you?" she barked, as he slipped past another attack, clearly not seizing on a golden opportunity to counter. "This isn't sparring, it's circle walking!"

"Knowing how to evade your opponent is one of the most useful skills one can have," Hitsugaya stated soundly. "You let them waste their energy on unnecessary movements as you wait for the right time to deliver the final blow."

"But you've never fought like this before!" Karin yelled. "That time with the robbers, and just now with the wonder bubbles, you don't hold back like this!"

"I wasn't using a wooden weapon," Hitsugaya explained. "If you hit this spear with your sword, you'd slice it in half." That was true enough, but it wasn't a satisfactory answer for Karin.

"Then use a real sword! If you can't fight properly with the weapon that you've got, then you need a new one." Hitsugaya's entire body seemed to stiffen. He shoved the spear at Ikkaku, who was almost bowled over by the suddenness of the action.

"I'm well aware of that," he replied, looking anywhere but at Karin. "Thank you for the spar. I'm sorry it wasn't enough for you."

"That's not what I…" Karin began, but Hitsugaya had already marched off and disappeared into the house. Karin scoffed.

"I don't know what's gotten into him today," she said, shaking her head. "He's so…out of it or something. This isn't like him."

"His sword is sealed," Hanataro pointed out. "Maybe he just really doesn't like aggressive sparring anymore."

"Maybe you're right," Karin agreed. "He's never sparred with me before, so I guess I should just be grateful that he did today."

"Who cares," Ikkaku brushed it off, entering the ring. "Come on, it's my turn." During the fight, while everyone's attention was on Karin and Ikkaku, Matsumoto managed to slip unseen into the house. Hitsugaya was alone, checking the still unconscious Renji's vitals for lack of anything better to do.

"That wasn't very nice," she noted. "Karin wanted to spar you for real." Hitsugaya didn't reply. "Are you still upset about what I told you?" Hitsugaya's shoulders fell.

"Of course I am! If that's really true then…then…then there may come a day when I need to unseal this sword once again." Matsumoto looked at him with horror.

"Taicho, you can't do that?" she said desperately. "You promised yourself. You promised me…"

"That was on the condition that he was dead. And don't call me taicho"

"But you don't want to kill anyone anymore! I know that! Even him."

"I'll do what I have to do when the time comes. Now get back out there or everyone will start to wonder where you've gone." Matsumoto looked at him with pity.

"I have faith in you," she said, her hand lingering on the door. "I know you'll do the right thing."

**Yeah, so Karin probably couldn't take on Zaraki head to head, but hey, it's an AU and Bleach has never been particularly good with maintaining proportional power levels, so I think I'm justified. Besides, it will be important in Karin's mind that Zaraki hasn't beaten her, so I hope it didn't jar anyone, but I need it for the story to work. And I PROMISE that we'll get Hitsugaya's backstory in full at some point, but right now is not the time.**


	15. The Blizzard

**Just to clarify because some people were confused, Hitsugaya has been fighting with his fists and the hilt of his sword in the past. I didn't make that so clear against the wonder bubbles, but if you go back to his first fight against the robbers, that's what he uses. But he's not about to start a fist fight with Karin, which is why he uses evasion tactics in their sparring match. Just so you know.**

Renji woke around lunch time, stood up with a start, and promptly toppled over. After they all had a good laugh, Karin filled him in on everything that had happened and Yumichka shoved food in his face as Hanataro checked his vitals.

"Hitsugaya-san saved your life," Hanataro told him. "I didn't even recognize the poison, but he knew what it was and how to make the antidote."

"Really?" Renji marveled. "Hey, thanks Toushiro. I owe you one." Hitsugaya scoffed. The rest of the day was reserved for the celebration that had been delayed due to Renji's condition. Barrels of sake were rolled out and everyone drank heartily while munching on the seemingly infinite supply of onigiri and fried mushrooms Yumichka was producing. Ikkaku left to go buy more booze and came home with the news that the wonder bubbles had been picked up, stark naked and utterly confused, by the authorities and were now facing heavy charges for forgery and counterfeiting. Kira and Matsumoto proudly displayed the treasure trove of wealth they had collected from the wonder bubbles' hideout. While they produced counterfeit money, they had plenty of genuine rho of their own, so it was a huge payoff.

"Kira, your getting dumped was the best thing that's ever happened to us!" Ikkaku declared, grinning madly as he threw gold coins in the air like a pirate who had just discovered a buried chest. They counted out the coins and divvied it up, but Karin refused her share.

"It was an adventure," she told them. "Besides, I wouldn't want to take it away from you. You could have done that job without us." Ikkaku shrugged.

"Suit yourself," he said as he pegged Renji with a well aimed rho.

"Ojosama, we need that money!" Hanataro groaned. "We're almost broke as it is!" Karin ignored him.

"Then take this instead," Matsumoto said, holding out the brilliant silken kimono Karin had worn earlier.

"But this is yours!" Karin protested. "I wouldn't even know what to do with something so fine!"

"Oh, I'm sure you'll think of something." She winked at Karin, then caught Hitsugaya's eye, who scowled and blushed simultaneously.

"But I don't even know how to wear it!" Karin continued.

"Karin," Matsumoto said gently. "Every woman deserves to have at least one beautiful item in her possession. Please think of it as a gift from your older sister and bring it with you on your journey. That kimono represents hope and happiness. You have a long road ahead of you, but don't forget that there are those that love you and care about you and that you can always find help if you know where to ask. That goes for all of you," she said, looking directly and Renji, then Hanataro, and finally Hitsugaya, to whom she addressed her final statement. "The elevens at least will always be here for you. We owe you a favor now." She gave Hitsugaya a meaningful look before they were descended upon by a gang of raging drunks who all wanted to show that they agreed with Matsumoto's words. In the chaos, Hitsugaya managed to catch Matsumoto's eye.

"Thank you," he mouthed silently. Matsumoto smiled.

oooooooooooooooooooo

The elevens offered to outfit them with enough horses for their whole party, but Renji couldn't part with the wagon, so they resupplied themselves with provisions and prepared to head out.

"We're ditching this ghost town too," Ikkaku told them. "If you're ever out by our old turf, look us up. Renji knows where to find us."

"Will do," Renji assured them.

"Thanks for everything guys," Karin said gratefully.

"Thank you very much for your hospitality," Hanataro said with a bow. "We are eternally grateful." Karin ruffled his hair.

"Until next time," Matsumoto said brightly, locking eyes with Hitsugaya for the briefest moment before embracing Karin in a monstrous hug. "Take good care of them Karin. Men are so helpless without us." They said their final thank yous and good byes, piled into the wagon, and set out along the dirty mountain road.

Winter had finally arrived full force, and the temperature dropped steadily over the next few days. Harsh winter air bit their faces and chapped their skin as they huddled together for warmth, cursing the fact that Renji was still carrying rocks instead of something more useful like furs. The mountains began to level out, but the trees only thickened until they were trapped in a dense forest and it became difficult to maneuver the wagon through the tight forest trails. Renji insisted that he knew a short cut, so they turned off the "main" road and into the wilderness. It didn't take long before they realized that they were utterly and hopelessly lost.

"Whoever put you in charge of directions ought to be fired!" Karin stated through chattering teeth.

"Hey, don't blame me!" Renji defended, although he too was shivering. "I don't have anything to navigate by." It was true enough. A thick ashen cloud cover had rolled in, blocking out both sun and stars and making it nearly impossible to distinguish even between day and night. Snowflakes appeared sometime around what Karin thought was midday based solely on her stomach, and by approximately dusk it was falling steadily. A thick layer already coated the ground that crunched hungrily under the horses' hooves and the wheels of the wagon. The skeleton trees around them slowly turned pure white as the rich flakes frosted every available branch like icing on a cake. They initially attempted to brush off the clumps of snow from their heads and shoulders, but as it accumulated faster than they could remove it, they soon gave up. Hanataro looked like a snow beast and Hitsugaya simply seemed to have grown more hair as it blended seamlessly onto his scalp. The snow covered earth became the same color as the sky and the trees until the winter wonderland consumed everything and up and down became as irrelevant as the time of day and the unidentifiable horizon. It would have been spectacular if it wasn't for the wind. It had been increasing as rapidly as the snow, and soon what began as a beautiful, gentle powdering turned into the makings of a raging blizzard.

"We need to find shelter!" Karin yelled over the howl of the wind. "Or we're all going to freeze to death!"

"I'm on it!" Renji assured her, but the truth was, there was nowhere to stop. They had passed several houses along the way, but any hope they had of retracing their steps had been buried under mounds of packed snow. The best option was to press onwards and pray. Just as Karin became absolutely convinced that they were all doomed, she saw a thin stream of smoke rising up in the distance.

"Renji!" she cried gratefully pointing at it, but all four of them had spied it and they were already moving towards it. It became more and more difficult to see. Thick flurries whipped around them, smothering them under a whirlwind of icy flakes. Karin was numb from head to toe, but the pillar of smoke became larger with every step and she clung to it desperately.

After what seemed like hours, they spotted it. The plume of smoke ended at a lone house hidden in the trees with warm fire flickering in the windows. It was like finding the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Karin chiseled herself out of the frozen wagon, trudged through the snow drifts, and pounded on the door.

A thin woman with a kind, yet worn face answered. Her salt and pepper hair was as frail as a spider's web and flowed down her back in a long braid. There were crow's feet around her eyes and laughter wrinkles across her cheeks. A thick haori hugged her petite shoulders over her faded and patched kimono. The fingers she wove around the hilt of her walking stick were as marbled and knotted as an oak tree. She smiled revealing ground, yellow teeth stained with age and smoke, and when she spoke, her voice sounded like thick gravel.

"What in high hell are you doin' outside you crazy idiot? Get your fat butt in here before I have a human popsicle stuck to my front stoop!" If Karin's lips hadn't been utterly frostbitten, she would have grinned like mad. The four snowmen managed to make their way into the house, then collapsed in a puddle next to the fire to defrost. The cabin was a modest three room number with a peeling tatami floor and soot stained walls. It was sparsely decorated with a central fire hearth and a dilapidated table. Bags of rice were piled in the corner next to a large black pot and various kitchen utensils.

"Honestly, what the hell were you all thinking?" the old woman muttered as she heaped them with blankets.

"Th...there w…w…was n..no w…where t…t…to g…g…go," Karin stuttered helplessly as she gradually regained body function. The woman snorted.

"You're just lucky you found us or we'd a' been makin' shaved ice from your corpses come spring time. Here." She shoved a cup full of boiling hot tea into each of their hands. Renji was so grateful he seemed on the verge of tears.

"Thank you obaasan!" he blubbered, lunging forward and hugging the woman's ankle. "We will never forget your kindness."

"Idiot," Hitsugaya mumbled. Karin snickered. The woman leaned forward and out her nose up to Renji's.

"You're welcome," she stated slyly. "But if you call me 'obaasan' again, you'll find yourself back outside stripped naked and danglin' from your toes on that tree out front." Renji gulped as Karin tried desperately to avoid laughing. She was afraid her frozen skin might crack in half if she did. "My name's Mizuki. Inoue Mizuki. Mizuki-san is acceptable. Got it punk?" Renji nodded, too scared to open his mouth. Mizuki grinned.

"That's more like it! Orihime!" she called. "Come in here a minute will you? We've got guests." A door opened and a small child appeared. She couldn't have been more than six, with playful eyes and a dazzling smile that seemed permanently glued to her face. Her hair draped around her like curtains in the wind and she smelled like summer.

"Woah!" she exclaimed wide eyed. "Mizuki-san, how did you make the snowmen move?" It was official. All four of them were instantly in love with her.

Mizuki prepared a quick meal of hot vegetable soup and they sat around the cramped table eating eagerly as Orihime told them about herself.

"I love the woods! They're so pretty in the spring when all the trees are in bloom. Oh, but winter is nice too 'cause the snowflakes are like little kamis telling me to come and play. But it's so cold and I don't like the cold. Oniichan hates the cold, so he wants it to be spring real soon. Just yesterday he told me…" As her ceaseless ramblings continued, they managed to piece together that there were three residents of the cottage: Mizuki and her two grandchildren, Orihime and Kakei, the latter of whom was apparently frail and ill.

"Nezumi-chan could take a look at him if you want," Karin offered. "He's the best doctor you'll ever meet." Hanataro blushed furiously.

"I'm not as great as Ojosama says, but I'll be happy to examine him." Karin ruffled his hair.

"Too modest," she chided. "Toushiro could help too! He knows a lot about medicine."

"No I don't," Hitsugaya insisted, calmly sipping his soup.

"You saved my life when Chibi-chan was clueless," Renji pointed out. "I'd say that's a bit more than nothing right?"

"Really?" Orihime exclaimed, gazing up at Hitsugaya with something akin to reverence. "That's amazing Shiro-niichan!" Hitsugaya checked and turned a rich shade of magenta. Karin dropped her chopsticks, which hit the bowl with a loud clamor.

"You blushed," she gasped, flabbergasted. "You actually _blushed_! I mean, sure she's cute and everything, but wow. I didn't know you were such a lollicon. I might actually get jealous."

"Shut up," Hitsugaya grumbled, glad that his face was already red. "And I'm _not_ a lollicon!" Orihime giggled.

"You two together?" Mizuki asked, her eyes gleaming for fresh gossip. Karin slapped Hitsugaya on the back.

"This lollicon's my fiancé," she announced brightly. "I'm bringing him home to meet my dad." Hitsugaya looked away.

"Ah, young love," Mizuki reminisced. "My son and his wife, may they rest in peace, were the picture of a storybook romance. I sure as hell miss the poor souls. They died in a fire a year ago. Orihime took it pretty hard."

"I'm sorry," Hanataro apologized. Orihime's smile fell briefly, but she brightened up almost immediately.

"It's ok!" she assured them. "Because I still have Mizuki-san. And oniichan!" Orihime's joy was contagious, and despite being weary and hypothermic, Karin and the rest found themselves in a better mood than they had been in in a long time. Mizuki scrounged up some spare blankets and rugs and Orihime joined them as they curled up in front of the fire and fell asleep to the sound of her rich laughter.

**Yay new characters! And yes, Orihime is six years old, which is VERY OOC, I admit, but hey, I can totally picture her as a little girl without changing her personality too much. I really needed a happy-go-lucky child character here, and she seemed to fit the best since I already used Yachiru and Nel is too annoying for me to write with (sorry Nel fans). Orihime's personality also fit the character I wanted to use here much better than anyone else's. So I hope you can overlook the fact that she's six and just enjoy her. She's going to be quite cute (I hope).**

**Lollicon for anyone who doesn't know is a boy who has a fedish for cute little girls, usually of the illegal age. If Hitsugaya's reaction seems OOC, it's not. Just trust me.**


	16. An Uncomfortable Afternoon

**As I was writing this chapter, I realized how totally emo Hitsugaya is. He's way more emo in this one than he's been in any of my previous fics and I apologize for that. It wasn't exactly my intention to make him that way, but he keeps getting put in situations that brings emo out. Anyway, this is my ooc chapter, but it's situational, so I think it works. Enjoy!**

The snow was still falling the next morning, albeit in a much calmer manner than the night before. The wind had at least died down and the dainty snow looked more like festive confetti than the brutal buckshot of the previous evening. Mizuki insisted that they stay another day and in exchange for their hospitality, Renji entertained them with a wild story about a sake merchant, a jade bracelet, and a basket of eggs that had everyone in hysterics. After a hearty breakfast of rice omelets (which induced many snickers after Renji's story), Hanataro left to examine Kakei and Karin and Renji settled down next to the comfortable fire to clean their swords. Orihime watched them with cat-like curiosity.

"What are you doing Karin-neechan?" she asked, as she watched Karin powder her blade with the attention a mother would lavish upon a baby.

"When you travel the way we do, your sword is your life," Karin explained. "You depend on them for safety, security, and livelihood. You have to take good care of them or they may fail you just when you need them the most." Renji laughed.

"Those swords are the only things you treat gently," he teased. Karin cuffed him in the arm.

"I can't deny that," she said with a grin. Orihime tottered over to Hitsugaya, who was watching the scene with a distant expression. She pointed at the sword that lay at his side.

"Why do you have a string around your sword Shiro-niichan?" she inquired. Hitsugaya blushed.

"I'll tell you if you promise not to call me that again," he replied.

"Why?" she wondered with a look that could melt butter.

"I don't like it," Hitsugaya replied coolly. "Call me anything else."

"Hey, I'm interested in the answer too, Shiro-niichan," Karin chided. Hitsugaya shot her the fiercest look he had ever given her.

"Don't you start," he threatened, breathing more heavily that he should have been considering he was sitting down. "I do _not_ find that funny." Karin gulped.

"Ok, ok, chill out, I was just teasing." Hitsugaya gave her a grudging look, then turned back to Orihime, who was clearly just confused. His face softened.

"You can call me whatever you like," he told her. "Except that."

"Ok Tou-nii!" Hitsugaya smirked.

"That's better."

"I don't really see the difference," Karin noted. Hitsugaya shrugged.

"I do," he said simply, and it was clear that he had no intention of elaborating.

"So Tou-nii," Orihime prodded. "Why do you have the string? Karin-neechan and Renji-niichan don't have one. You can't use the sword that way right?"

"Well," Hitsugaya began thoughtfully, "come here." He beckoned her over and Orihime approached him eagerly. Hitsugaya leaned forward towards her ear, cupped his hand over his mouth, and whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear, "It's a secret."

"What?" Orihime pouted. "That's not fair Tou-nii!" Karin laughed loudly.

"I think I've seen a whole new side of you today Tou-nii," she heckled. "You're surprisingly good with kids." Hitsugaya scoffed. As Orihime made repeated attempts to convince Hitsugaya to spill the beans, to no avail, Renji surreptitiously nudged Karin in the shoulder.

"Hey, can we talk?" he asked quietly enough so Hitsugaya couldn't hear over Orihime's rambling. He indicated the direction of the door. "I think I'm going to go feed the horses," he announced loudly.

"I'll help," Karin offered, getting to her feet. Hitsugaya nodded at them, then returned his attention to Orihime who was tugging playfully on his sleeve and babbling something about patty cake. Karin followed Renji outside. The snow had slowed to a gentle sprinkle and the sun was even beginning to show its face through small gaps in the clouds, sending down visible sheets of light that caught the drifting flakes like dust in the beams from a brightened window.

"What's up?" Karin asked as she scooped out rice and dried hay for the horses. Renji had an air of gravity about him that she had never seen before. It was a little off-putting. He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I was just wondering, what do you think of Hitsugaya?" Karin was so startled by the question she dropped the feed bag sending grains of rice scattering across the frozen surface of the snow.

"What's with the sudden interest?" she asked as the horse she was feeding began to nudge at her feet in a quest for the dropped food. Karin made no move to stop him and gaped at Renji instead.

"Well, usually when you tell people he's your fiancé, you immediately follow it up with a story about your quest and whatever. But last night you didn't. You left it at 'fiancé' and let Mizuki-san go on about young love and whatever without telling her that you're not actually engaged. What changed?" Karin wondered herself what had changed. When did the fiancé thing stop being so much of a joke? Was it that night in the swamp? Or had it happened earlier? She still wasn't sure she entirely knew what her feelings were towards Hitsugaya, but he wasn't just some guy she was paying to do her a favor anymore. Of that she was certain.

"I'm not sure," she replied honestly. "Maybe traveling together has been more of a bonding experience than I expected."

"He cares about you," Renji stated seriously, and it was such an out of character line coming from him that it startled Karin almost as much as his initial question. "Sure he's a bit of a stiff and he's got some serious daddy issues or something when it comes to his past, but I think he's a pretty good guy when he wants to be. He's a lot more sensitive than people give him credit for though, so just…just be careful with him I guess. He seems to take things to heart way more than you or I do." Karin found herself at a loss for words, and it wasn't an easy task to get her to that point. This entire conversation was incredibly uncomfortable and she felt very put-out. She had no idea how to respond to Renji's statement. It wasn't like she hadn't noticed that Hitsugaya sometimes became hyper-sensitive over the strangest things, but to hear Renji actually put it into words that way was unnerving. And then to be having this conversation with him about her and Hitsugaya's relationship? That was just weird. He had brought up some interesting points, but how she felt about Hitsugaya was something she needed to figure out for herself, not something she needed to gossip about with Renji like two over-excited school girls. But if her feelings had gotten to the point where Renji had noticed them, than she knew it was time to do some serious thinking. She vowed to give the matter proper attention, but right now, she just wanted to get away from this strange man occupying Renji's body.

"I'm going inside," she said curtly. She marched into the house and slammed the door, causing the icicles on the doorframe to tinkle like wind chimes. Renji smirked.

"I think my future wife hates me," he said to no one in particular.

"Don't worry," Mizuki replied, coming around the side of the house with a basket of dried vegetables. "There are many great men who are hated by their wives." Renji gaped at her momentarily, then grinned broadly.

"Well then I guess I have nothing to worry about." Mizuki studied him carefully.

"Do you love that girl?" she asked sincerely. Renji sighed longingly.

"It wouldn't be so bad to be with a girl like her. She's spirited, wild, adventurous, you know, the kind of girl a guy like me would normally kill for. But I only love one girl. That's never gonna change." Mizuki looked at him tenderly.

"Sometimes we make great sacrifices to protect those we love. The difference between a real man and a wimp is that a real man grows some balls and does what's necessary when the time comes, even if it's not what he really wants. If it's what your loved one wants, then you suck it up and take the hit. Right?" Renji beamed at her.

"You know, you're alright obaasan!" Mizuki clocked him with her walking stick.

ooooooooooooooooo

Hanataro returned at lunch with a thorough evaluation of Kakei's condition.

"It's not too good," he told them. "His pulse is very weak and he's having difficulty breathing. The thin mountain air may only be making it worse." Mizuki scoffed.

"I ain't moving to no city," she grumbled. "Those places are hell on earth. The air up here's clean, even if it's thin." Hanataro nodded.

"That's true," he agreed. "I don't necessarily think moving to a city is the best idea. But he'll need medicine, and the ingredients are very expensive since some of the herbs required have to be imported from China. If it was something I could make myself I would but without those herbs…"

"Don't trouble yourself," Mizuki reassured him. "You're not the first doctor who's seen him. I'm well aware of the need for money for that medicine. I'm workin' on a way to obtain it. I told some merchants who I met in town the other day that I'd sell them some valuables. I have a few things left that should be worth somethin'. They should have been here this morning, but I'm sure the snow delayed them. They probably won't get here for a few days. As soon as I have that money, I'll go get what I need."

"Really?" Hanataro exclaimed with relief. "That's really good to hear."

"If you want me to take a look and what you've got, I may be interested," Renji offered, holding a pack of ice on his forehead where he had been struck earlier by Mizuki's cane. "I am a merchant after all. I could give you a good deal."

"Ah, but I already promised these men. I don't want them to show up and find out I've sold everythin' good to you. They may not take so kindly to that."

"Good point I guess," Renji conceded.

"Will oniichan be alright?" Orihime asked concerned. Mizuki gave her a warm smile.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head. I'll do everything I can to protect him. I promise."

**After Renji and Hitsugaya had a chat, I thought it was time for Renji and Karin to have one. This chapter was fun to write, so I hope you liked it!**


	17. Her Treasure

**So not so much happened in the last two chapters, but this one is much more thrilling. I've been waiting for this chapter ever since I started writing this story, so I'm totally excited that we're finally here. I hope you guys like it!**

The rest of the afternoon was spent curled up in front of the fire telling stories and playing Orihime's endless string of word games. It seemed there was no end to the girl's ability to entertain herself, and now that she had people to play with, the possibilities were endless. Within a few hours, she had run them all ragged, but they all thought she was so cute that none of them could find it in their hearts to stop her. The snow ceased around dinner time, but as it was already dark outside, Mizuki told them they were welcome to spend the night.

"Can I sleep with them tonight?" Orihime pleaded as the travelers lay out their blankets on the floor of the main room. "Please?"

"Alright," Mizuki agreed affectionately. "But go right to sleep and don't bother them. They have to rest well for their journey tomorrow."

"Ok!" Orihime cheered. She wedged herself firmly between Hitsugaya and Karin.

"I'll miss you when you leave," she yawned, closing her eyes as she snuggled against her pillow.

"We'll miss you too," Hitsugaya said softly, covering her with a thick blanket against the drafty floor.

ooooooooooooooooooooo

Hitsugaya awoke to the sound of horses and hushed voices. He opened his heavy eyes and felt mildly disoriented. They couldn't have been asleep for more than a few hours. Everything was pitch black and it took a moment for him to gain his bearings. He felt a chill and turned towards the source. Mizuki was standing in the doorway, framed by the glow of the moonlit snow, and was trading words with a man in a thick traveling cloak. Hitsugaya strained his ears and could just barely make out their whispered conversation.

"…a beauty, just like you described," the man said. "100 rho is a more than generous price. No one else will give you such a good deal."

"But she's my treasure," Mizuki pleaded, and Hitsugaya thought he could hear a tingle of tears in the old woman's voice. "You can't give me any more than that?"

"I'm sorry, but a deal's a deal. Take it or leave it. I don't have to buy her you know. I can find another just like her if you don't want to sell her." Mizuki bowed her head.

"I understand," she replied.

"It's been a pleasure doing business with you." The man passed Mizuki a bag that clinked with the distinctive sound of money. She thanked him, shut the door, and immediately stifled a sob. Hitsugaya sat up.

"Mizuki-san? Are you alright?" Mizuki jumped.

"Oh, you're awake Hitsugaya-kun?" she said startled. "You damn near gave me a heart attack."

"What was that?" he interrogated. Something didn't feel right to him.

"Oh, that?" Mizuki replied lightly. "That was just the merchants I told you about. Remember the ones I was gonna to sell valuables to? It seems they finally made it here. Well, I'm tired, I think I'm gonna go pass out. Excuse me." Hitsugaya still felt something was fishy about the whole transaction. He lowered his head in thought and when he looked down, he realized what was missing.

"Mizuki," he began. "Where's Orihime?" Mizuki froze.

"Mizuki," Hitsugaya raised his voice, panicking slightly. "Where's Orihime?" Karin stirred beside him.

"What's going on Toushiro?" she asked sleepily, rubbing her face. "What's all the yelling about?"

"Mizuki?" Hitsugaya shouted urgently. "Where is she?" Renji and Hanataro woke too.

"Oi, what time do you think it is?" Renji grumbled. Hitsugaya jumped to his feet, all exhaustion forgotten.

"You sold her didn't you!" Hitsugaya accused. "Didn't you?"

"I didn't have a choice," Mizuki admitted. "I needed the money for Kakei's medicine…"

"You fool!" Hitsugaya cried, shaking with rage. "Orihime is your granddaughter too! How can you chose one over the other like that?"

"She'll be safe," Mizuki defended. "The life of a geisha isn't so bad. She'll have food and shelter and clothing. At least she'll be alive. If I hadn't sold her, Kakei would be dead! I have nothing else that could pay for that medicine. If I…" but Hitsugaya didn't wait around to hear the rest. He bolted to the door, not even pausing to grab a cloak, and climbed onto a horse as fast as he could.

"Toushiro, where are you going?" Karin asked, appearing at his side.

"I'm going to get her back. Don't try to stop me." Karin hopped onto the other horse.

"I'm not trying to stop you. I'm coming with you. But put this on or you'll die in the process." She tossed him his cloak. He nodded his thanks and they raced off across the frozen tundra, following the tracks left in the snow. The slave traders hadn't gone very far, so it only took a few minutes to catch up with them. Hitsugaya galloped around them and came to a stop directly in front of them, blocking their path. There were three traders on horseback dressed in traveling cloaks against the cold. Orihime sat on one of the horses, bound and gagged, with a look of pure terror implanted in her red and puffy eyes.

"What can I do you for?" one of the traders asked. Hitsugaya pointed at Orihime.

"I'd like you to return her please," he ordered. The men looked at each other and laughed, a harsh, biting laugh that ripped through the still air like a dissonant cord.

"Well niichan, we're certainly not going to return her for free," the man said smarmily. "She's our property now you see, and she was quite an investment. A beauty like her'll fetch a hefty price in Gion. So we're not gonna part with her easily you see."

"How much?" Hitsugaya asked firmly. The man gave him a wry look.

"250 rho and not a mon less. You got that much?" Hitsugaya reached inside his cloak and pulled out the bag Karin had given him months ago in a café when she had hired him to act as her fiancé. He tossed it to the man without a second's hesitation.

"There you go. 250 rho. Now give me the girl." The man rifled through the bag to confirm its contents and shrugged.

"Suit yourself." He indicated to his companion who lifted a numb Orihime from the horse and tossed her onto a snowbank.

"Easiest sale we've ever had," the men chuckled as they navigated around Hitsugaya and disappeared into the forest. Hitsugaya dismounted and dashed to Orihime's side.

"It's alright now," he assured her as he removed her gag and the ropes binding her wrists. "You're safe now." Orihime's eyes welled up with tears.

"Tou-nii!" she blubbered. She threw her arms around his shoulders and broke down in hysterics. Hitsugaya rubbed her back and did his best to sooth her.

"It's ok," he whispered repeatedly as he stroked her long hair. "It's going to be ok."

"Ojosama!" Karin tore her eyes away from the heart wrenching scene to see Hanataro and Renji racing towards them, huffing and puffing as they struggled to run through the snow.

"Over here!" she called. They soon joined them and leaned against trees, gasping for breath.

"What the hell happened back there?" Renji asked, still mildly clueless. "Did that obaasan really sell Orihime?" Hitsugaya answered him by indicating the hysterical girl in his arms.

"Damn," Renji swore. "I really liked that broad too. Never thought she would have been capable of something like this."

"Me neither," Karin agreed. "Frankly, I wouldn't have been convinced if I hadn't seen those traders with my own eyes."

"Then you two are just completely unaware of what a human being is capable of," Hitsugaya scolded. They were silent for a while, allowing Orihime to finish her tantrum in peace. When her tears finally slowed to a sniffle, Hitsugaya gently pried her off of him and wiped her face with his sleeve.

"Um, I hate to be the one to ask this," Renji cut in, "but now what? You just bought that girl didn't you? What are you going to do with her?"

"Why don't we ask her," Hitsugaya replied. "Orihime," he said carefully, looking her directly in the eye. "What do you want to do now? Where do you want to go? We'll do everything we can to make it happen."

"I…I want to stay with Tou-nii," she mumbled.

"Ok," Hitsugaya agreed willingly. "Then you can stay with me." Everyone else was too stunned to speak. Hitsugaya cradled her against him and she eventually fell into an uncomfortable sleep. Hitsugaya lifted her into his arms as they carried her back to the wagon.

"Um, I don't mean to butt into your business, but what the hell?" Renji asked. "You're just going to bring this kid with you, just like that?"

"Yes," Hitsugaya stated soundly. "Do you have a problem with that?" Renji scratched his head.

"No, not really, but man, talk about a big decision."

"I'm proud of you," Karin told him, giving Hitsugaya an affectionate smile. "You were really incredible back there." Hitsugaya blushed.

"It's not like I did it to be heroic or anything. I just think she deserves something better."

"But I don't get it," Renji mused. "I mean, sure you just saved her and everything, but she only met you two days ago. Why would she rather stay with you than go back to her family now that she's free?" Hitsugaya stopped dead.

"Abarai," Hitsugaya said darkly. "Have you ever been betrayed? And I don't mean some whore skimped on the change, I mean really betrayed. By someone you truly loved and trusted from the bottom of your heart. Someone you believed in with every fiber of your being. If not, then you can't even begin to imagine what this girl is going is through right now. So don't even try." With that, he stomped off, holding Orihime protectively against his chest and leaving behind a very startled group of friends.

**Um yeah, I've got nothing to add here. Let me know what you think, because this is one of my favorite chapters so far.**


	18. Shopping

**Sorry for the late post all, but school's been killing me recently. This chapter's a bit longer than the last few, so maybe that'll make up for being a few days late. I hope you like it!**

They made slow but steady progress over the next few days. Thick snow clogged the wheels and patches of black ice caused quite a few near disasters, but between the bright sun and Orihime's brighter laughter, their spirits were raised considerably. The presence of a child in their midst had wrought an enormous change in the party. Renji was thoroughly bruised as Karin decked him every time he said something inappropriate. Hanataro was overwhelmed by Orihime's constant cheery mood, and spent much of the time flustered over a vain attempt to keep up with her. Hitsugaya was much more relaxed than Karin had seen him yet. He treated Orihime tenderly, like she was precious and fragile, and it was so endearing that even Renji couldn't tease him about it. They had reached an unspoken agreement not to mention the events of that night with the geisha traders unless Orihime herself brought it up. She didn't, nor did she say a word about Mizuki and her brother, and the rest were content to wait until she was willing to talk. In the meantime, they found the main road and headed out of the forest to continue their journey east. As the trees thinned further, a moderate sized town came into view and Karin suddenly recognized where they were.

"We're here already?" she exclaimed. "Yay, free food for dinner guys!"

"You're right Ojosama," Hanataro agreed. "We've made better time than I thought. I thought the snow held us back more. We may actually reach home by your birthday at this rate."

"Um, where are we exactly?" Renji asked.

"My brother lives in this town," Karin replied. "We can crash at his place."

"Crashing sounds good!" Renji said excitedly, urging the horses to increase their pace. They trotted into town through the crowded streets and found themselves in a bustling marketplace. Hanataro insisted on buying a gift for Karin's brother, Renji was itching to sell some dancing rocks now that he finally could find some ready buyers, and Hitsugaya wanted to get Orihime a warmer traveling cloak, so they decided to spend some time in the market before heading to their destination.

Renji made a small fortune selling the dancing rocks to a swordsmith, who nearly keeled over and died when he saw Karin's magnetite sword. A mirror smith eagerly bought the sand that Renji had wisely stuffed into the bottom of the bag and Renji waltzed out of the shop humming an out of key tune and made a beeline for a sake shop.

"Your brother like good sake?" he asked as he perused shelves containing the most expensive, high quality sake available, selecting several for himself. Karin shook her head.

"Nah, he doesn't drink. But his wife does. Excellent, now we don't have to buy a gift!"

"Ojosama, we can't bring sake as a gift to Ichigo-dono's house!" Hanataro gasped, petrified. "You know how much he hates your sake habit, he'd kick us right out onto the street!"

"Not if neesan stopped him," Karin schemed. "But fine. We'll get something else."

"What about flowers?" Orihime suggested. "They were selling some pretty ones over there."

"But it's winter?" Hantaro wondered. They headed over to where Orihime was pointing and found an apothecary carrying dried herbs and preserved animals floating in strangely colored jars. Karin laughed joyfully.

"I guess herbs can look like flowers," she grinned, then jerked away from a dead beadle the size of a small rodent that was floating eerily from a sting above her head. Renji chuckled. Karin glared at him.

"But they actually do have some flowers," Hitsugaya pointed out, indicating a shelf containing wizened chrysanthemum petals and pressed lotus.

"What about these?" Orihime held up a bundle of dried plum blossoms. "They're pretty even when they're dead…"

"NO!" Renji thundered, causing several innocent bystanders to jump. Orihime's smile fell off her face and crashed onto the floor.

"Oi!" Hitsugaya shouted, placing an arm around Orihime's shoulders. "Don't yell at her like that. What'd she do?" Renji seemed to come to his senses.

"Woah, hey, sorry about that Orihime-chan," he said awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "I just…um…I don't like plum blossoms." Karin raised an eyebrow.

"I'd say it's more like plum blossoms killed your family the way you reacted." Renji laughed ruefully.

"Well, something like that."

"Care to explain?" Karin prompted. Renji shrugged.

"It's not that big a deal," he brushed off. "I was once in love with a girl who really liked plum blossoms. That's all." Karin gaped at him.

"Really? You never told us that." Renji smirked.

"You never asked."

"It's his business," Hitsugaya said offhandedly, examining a jar of what looked like shriveled maggots. "He doesn't have to tell you if he doesn't want to."

"I told you it's not a big deal," Renji said. "I loved her more than anything, but I don't think she ever felt the same way about me. She up and married some official or something without even introducing me to the guy. Heck, I don't even know his name." He chuckled, a rough, pathetic chuckle that betrayed his sense of loss. "Guess I never really meant as much to her as she did to me. Not that I ever expected much from her. She didn't exactly have a tame, loving nature if you know what I mean. But that's all in the past now. It's been ages since I've even seen her. So don't worry about it. Seriously."

"Um, ok, if you say so," Karin said awkwardly. Renji told them stories all the time, but they were usually humorous tales from his travels. This was the first time he had shared something so personal, but if he wanted to brush it off as nothing, then Karin decided she should respect his wishes. "Let's just buy some rice crackers for my brother," she suggested, trying to bring the conversation back to a more normal plane after Renji's confession.

They bought the rice crackers at a cute little candy shop where Orihime puppy dog-eyed them into adding a bag of hard candy which she sucked nosily, a look of supreme ecstasy on her face. Renji paused at a calligraphy store, and restocked his now empty wagon with high quality ink, which was apparently this town's specialty.

"Why can't you buy something comfortable to sit on," Karin grumbled. "Like futons?"

"I'd be an utter fool not to buy this ink," Renji told her as he examined the various varieties, inspecting each bottle carefully. "It's exquisitely made and incredibly inexpensive considering the quality. You'll eat well on the profits too, so don't complain."

They visited a clothing shop where Orihime had them all in hysterics as she tried on everything in the store except the traveling cloaks. The owner looked like he was about to have an apoplectic attack as the whirlwind of Inoue Orihime blew through his store scattering everything in sight.

"Please just try on one of these," Hitsugaya coaxed, holding up the smallest cloak they had.

"But these are so cute!" Orihime sang, draping a brilliant floral kimono three times her size around her shoulders and twirling like a ballerina.. "Don't I look pretty Tou-nii?"

"I don't think that would fit you if you were as tall as Abarai," Hitsugaya replied. "Now please just try this on. I know you're cold."

"You're really not good at dealing with kids are you?" Karin teased. "You should have thought a bit harder before adopting one." Hitsugaya glared at her and in exchange, she shoved a cloak into his face. "Here, try this one." It was an outrageously loud shade of orange splattered with crystal blue flowers that clashed horribly with the backdrop. Hitsugaya gave her an, "are you kidding me," look, but as soon as it was in his hands, Orihime made a beeline for it and was strangling it like a particularly unhappy kitten.

"I love it!" she squealed. "It's so cute! Can I get this one Tou-nii?"

"Whatever makes you happy," he replied in relieved disbelief.

"You're such a softy," Karin chided, elbowing him in the arm. Hitsugaya shrugged.

"At least she's willing to buy a cloak." He paid the frazzled shopkeeper twice what the cloak was worth and apologized for the mess.

"Ok!" Karin said enthusiastically. "Let's go see Ichi-nii!" They headed out of the market and down a residential street. Karin directed them around several turns and they came to a stop at a looming bamboo gate.

"We're here!" Karin declared, jumping out of the wagon and yanking on the door.

"Aren't you going to knock?" Renji asked. Karin brushed him off.

"My brother and his wife are about as formal as I am. Don't worry, coming in unannounced will be way more fun." The five travelers entered the courtyard and several jaws dropped. The house sprawled farther than the eye could see with an elegant black wood rooftop complete with a carved mantle. Mahogany rafters held it in place, painted with scenes from famous plays and stories. New tiles covered the walls, freshly repaired for the winter. There were more buildings than they could count, and even more hidden behind them. Snow blanketed the vast yard, abundant with skeletal plum trees and a frozen pond. A frescoed fence enclosed the entire property, splashing color onto the monotonous white landscape.

"This is where your brother _lives_?" Renji gaped in awe. "I never really pictured your family as the rich type."

"Thanks," Karin replied sarcastically. "And we're not really all that rich. My sister-in-law's a noble. Her family paid for the house. My brother just got lucky." The front door opened and a tall man with bleach blond hair, broad shoulders, and enormous hands stepped out. He was dressed in a jet black and burgundy kimono that was instantly recognizable as that of a high ranking provincial officer. At the moment, he seemed rather miffed.

"Oi, who's there?" he yelled.

"What, you don't recognize your own sister anymore?" Karin sassed. Ichigo's eyes opened wide.

"Karin?" he exclaimed in disbelief. "Is that you?"

"You got another sister I don't know about?" Ichigo's face broke into a wide grin.

"Get your butt over here," he ordered. Karin briefly fought her smile, but gave up and dashed into her brother's arms for an enormous bear hug.

"Man it's good to see you," Ichigo said joyfully. "Come on inside, it's as cold as the daimyo's heart out here. Oi, is that you Hanataro?"

"It's an honor to see you Ichigo-dono," Hanataro replied with a slight bow. Ichigo responded by ruffling his hair the way Karin always did.

"Looks like you've grown an inch or four since I last saw you. How's puberty treating you eh?" Hanataro blushed awkwardly.

"Oi, who's Hanataro?" Renji asked confused. Karin blinked several times as she processed this question, then collapsed on the floor, holding her stomach against an uncontrollable fit of laughter.

"Nezumi-chan, Chibi-chan, kid, you've been called everything except your name! Oh man, this is hilarious!" Hanataro's face flushed deep purple as everyone realized what Karin was talking about and joined her in her laughing attack.

"What's going on out here," came a harsh female voice, and the party looked up to see a woman half the size of Ichigo with wild, raven colored hair, creamy smooth skin, and piercing eyes that seemed as though they could look right through you and examine your soul. Renji, who was on his knees howling with laughter, looked up and wiped a tear from his eye. As his hand left his face it seemed to bring all of his joy with it, to be replaced with shock and deep, heart stopping pain.

"Rukia?"

**Yeah, I'm leaving this chapter at that. I thought it was the best place to stop. (No I do not hate you. Honest.)**


	19. The Boy, the Girl, and the Plum Tree: I

**I apologize in advance for this really short chapter. It was supposed to be much longer, but I had this part written and I'm not sure when I can get around to writing the rest so rather than leaving you hanging, I thought I'd post what I have instead of making you wait. It stands on its own well enough, but it's just a bit short.**

**Oh, and just in case you're confused at all, I did not post this in the wrong story. This is the next chapter. I promise. If you're still confused at the end, the second half of this chapter (aka the next chapter) will explain everything.**

The Valley of the Winds was aptly named. It lay at the base of several soaring mountains on three sides, but to the west it opened up onto the vast, sprawling sea. Because of its fishbowl shape, it became something of a weather trap. The first thing any visitor would notice was, poignantly, the wind. A bitter, frigid wind sailed down the mountains in the winter, carrying with it hail and flash ice storms. As the summer approached, the wind would switch directions; warmer airs were carried in from the sea, resulting in mini-tidal waves that flooded the entire city with several inches of salty water, leaving a permanent scar on the floors of the homes. Or, if they were really unlucky, the drastic temperature changes combined to create a tornado, well contained within their little inlet, but destructive enough to force the entire village to devote the rest of the warm season to rebuilding roofs. Worse than the weather however, were the people that resided there. In order to live in such a harsh microclimate, one must either be too poor, too stubborn, too lazy, or too married to tradition to leave. And so the village became the epitome of a Marxian nightmare. Haves and have nots were split along such well demarcated lines that it was a wonder they were able to share the same breathing space without inciting a revolution. It was not an uncommon sight to stroll down the central square and see haughty women with parasols and new kimonos, nobles drinking expensive sake and placing bets on when the next monsoon would hit, and street children, shoeless and tattered, scampering across the floor scrounging for table scrapes and gazing up at the better dressed and well-fed lot with puppy dog eyes, only to be kicked aside and ridiculed for their horrid manners and ratty appearance, with a, "can't you see we're busy, go beg somewhere else," mentality. In this den of sin and damaged souls, a young boy ran for his life.

Weaving in and out of the busy crowd, the boy navigated around shoppers and rouge ducks, deftly avoiding various shards of broken glass and pottery that would have sliced his bare feet to shreds. His kimono snagged on the sharp corner of a stall, but it was so filthy and torn that he pulled hard, preferring to obtain yet another rip rather than slowing down. It was too small for him anyway, rising solidly above his knees, leaving them exposed and vulnerable to being skinned as he tripped, but he was in such a hurry that he ignored the sharp pain and grime-filled blood and continued his race. Despite his fervent desire to be anywhere but where he was, he clutched a tiny bag close to his chest as if it contained the crown jewels. Somewhere dangerously close by, a man with a furious temper and sizeable potbelly was screaming at the top of his lungs, waving a bamboo broom and trying as best he could to follow the boy's chosen path through the maze of people and animals, although with significantly less grace.

"Get back here you mangy little thief!" the man cried, brandishing his broom wildly. "Somebody stop that kid!" Luckily for the boy, the residents of the Valley of the Winds were either too preoccupied in their own lives or veterans of stealing from street merchants themselves, so no one paid the man much attention. No one that is, except a wide plum tree. It was one of many that lined the streets, dropping their sweet fruit like manna from heaven now that they were in season, and no one ordinarily would have noticed that particular plum tree. It was unobtrusive enough. Even the boy would have run right past it if a hand hadn't reached out of the thick branches and yanked him into their folds.

The boy at least had enough good sense in him to keep his mouth shut, despite his surprise at being kidnapped by a tree, and watched with baited breath as the shopkeeper continued his quest, weaving through the crowd, broomstick held high, oblivious to the fact that his quarry had been swallowed by a tree.

After taking a moment to catch his breath, the boy turned to the hand that saved him and saw that it did not, in fact, belong to the plum tree. It was attached to a stunningly beautiful girl wearing an exquisite kimono of deep maroon with a golden obi that looked as though it had been fashioned from the sun itself. The girl was exceptionally short, over a head shorter than the boy, but her fierce eyes betrayed her tiny stature, and the boy was sure he wasn't a day older than her. Her rounded face and apple bright cheeks were framed by a bubble of perfectly styled midnight black hair, and if the boy looked closely enough, he thought he could actually see stars twinkling from it and the glow of the moon illuminating her silky skin. He almost asked her if she was the kami of the plum tree, but he seemed to have forgotten how to use his tongue. He was brought sharply back to reality as a wet, squishy plum hit him square in the face.

"Oi!" he yelled, juice trickling down his forehead. "What was that for?"

"Are you going to stare at me or are you going to thank me for saving your behind?" The boy gaped at her.

"I…I wasn't staring," he grumbled, crossing his arms in a huff. "And don't waste food like that. This is a perfectly good plum."

"So eat it," the girl told him. "No one's stopping you." The boy glared at her momentarily, then reached down for the bruised plum and took an enormous bite. The girl giggled.

"I like the way you eat," she complimented. "You look like you're enjoying your food."

"Hmm?" the boy wondered offhandedly, his cheeks bursting, and warm red juice trailing down his chin. "Id ooo ay om-ing?" The girl laughed uncontrollably, her voice ringing like sweet music.

"What's so funny?" the boy demanded, having finally managed to swallow his mouthful of plum.

"Nothing, nothing," the girl waved him off. "So what was worth risking your hide to steal?" She pointed at the bag the boy was clutching. He pulled it protectively to his chest.

"I didn't steal anything!" he insisted. The girl's face softened.

"Look, I may be a kid and I may be a noble, but that doesn't mean that I'm blind to the world we live in. I don't blame you for stealing. Everyone has the right to live a decent life." The boy gaped at her.

"What?" she asked. The boy shook his head.

"Nothing it's just…well, you're the first rich person ever to treat me like something more than garbage." The girl shrugged.

"Rich, poor, I don't really see the difference. We're all human right? So what's in the bag?" The boy hesitated a moment, but eventually reached into the bag and pulled out a small brightly colored candy.

"You want one?" he asked, holding it out to her.

"You risked life and limb to steal a bag of candy? And you're willing to share it? Really?" The boy glowered at her.

"Just take the stupid candy alright!" he barked. The girl chuckled.

"Alright than." She snatched the candy from his outstretched hand and popped it into her mouth. "Thanks." The boy nearly choked at the grin she gave him, and he buried his face in his plum in a desperate attempt to hide his blush.

"So what's your story?" he asked nonchalantly. "What're you doing in a plum tree?"

"What's it look like? Hiding out. Plus, plum trees are amazing! They have the prettiest flowers and the plums are so sweet. Two wonderful things in one plant. It's incredible, don't you think?" She looked off into the horizon and noticed the sun's proximity to the mountains.

"It's this late?" she gasped. "I really should get home now. See ya round!" And with that she hopped out of the tree and dashed away. It wasn't until she was out of sight that the boy realized that he had forgotten to ask her her name.

**As I said, sorry this is so short. This story will be continued next chapter. I'm not answering questions on who they are just yet, but you're welcome to guess :)**


	20. The Boy, the Girl, and the Plum Tree: II

**Here's the second half of the last chapter. It's much longer this time to make up for how short the last one was. I hope it answers some of your questions (although most of you picked up on what was going on.)**

The boy was dragging his feet.

"It's not like I want to see her again!" he insisted as he headed in the direction of the plum tree. "I just want some plums that's all! That's all there is to it. Nothing more. I don't care if I see her again." He was of course, ignoring the fact that plums were in season and were readily available all over town. That was a moot point.

"I'm not going there to see her!"

"Looking for me?" The boy had reached the plum tree and, just as he was expecting, the girl was sitting on a branch, dangling her legs freely. She was just as spectacular today as she had been the day before, but today's kimono was a rich blue, the color of the sky on a cloudless summer day.

"No!" the boy said a bit too forcefully. "I just wanted a plum!" The girl smirked knowingly, then tossed a box at the boy's head. He just barely caught it in time.

"What the…!" he began, startled. "Why are you throwing things at me again? What's with you?" The girl smiled.

"Open it." The boy humphed but complied. Inside the box was a variety of incredibly expensive sweets from an extremely famous candy maker in Kyoto. The boy's jaw dropped momentarily, then his eyes narrowed.

"What's this for?" he yelled, waving the box angrily. "I don't need your charity!"

"It's not charity," the girl told him. "It's a thank you. You gave me candy yesterday, so I'm just returning the favor. See, we're even now." The boy didn't exactly know how to react. It was rare for someone here to give away food of their own volition. Everyone in town was either too hungry or too stuck up to share food with the likes of a measly street kid. But the girl seemed genuine enough. And his stomach was rumbling.

"Fine, then eat them with me," he said grudgingly. The girl grinned.

"Ok!" The boy hopped onto a branch and the two of them quickly ate their way through the box. The girl giggled.

"My nii-sama would kill me if he could see me now! Eating all this candy this close to lunch time."

"Hmmm," the boy mused, his mouth too full of sugar to care much. The girl sighed.

"He'd kill me if he knew I came out into the market alone too." The boy swallowed his tremendous mouthful with a big gulp.

"Then why'd you come out?" he asked, taking another handful from the box.

"Because I hate being at home," the girl said, a forlorn look on her face. The boy scoffed.

"You have a roof over your head, new clothes, and plenty of food to eat. What are you complaining about?" The girl rounded on him.

"Just because I'm a noble doesn't mean I can't feel pain!" she barked. Her eyes saddened. "My sister died last year. My parents died when I was really little, so nii-sama and nee-sama raised me. But nii-sama always liked nee-sama best. She was kind and gentle. I loved her a lot. She could even make nii-sama smile sometimes, and he never smiles. Since she died, nii-sama hasn't even looked me in the eye. Not once. It's like he doesn't care about me at all. It's so lonely in that house. I don't care if he yells at me. At least then he'd be acknowledging me. Right now he just ignores me. It doesn't matter if I'm there or not. He probably wouldn't even notice if I ran away." The boy listened to her story with a pang in his heart.

"I've always been alone," he confessed. "I don't remember anyone ever taking care of me, so I can't really understand what you're going through. I've always had to fend for myself. Not that I'm complaining!" he said, puffing his chest up proudly. "I'm just fine with who I am. I don't need anything from anyone. But…but…it might be nice…to know that someone out there cares about you. If…if you want, I'm willing to be that person. You know, I'll care about you and you care about me. That way, neither of us will be lonely." He blushed slightly at his words, and stole a glance at the girl's face. He couldn't interpret the look she was giving him. She seemed startled, pleased, and sorrowful all at the same time.

"If you don't want to, I don't care at all!" he added stubbornly. "I told you, it's not like I need someone to care about me. I'm just doing you a favor."

"Ok," the girl agreed. The boy looked back at her and saw that she was wearing the biggest, brightest, most delighted smile he had ever seen on any human being. It seemed to radiate out of her, causing the tree itself to glow and lit up her face with a heavenly shine. At that time, the boy had no way of knowing that they were to spend the next ten years together, laughing and playing and getting into trouble, spending countless hours sitting in the plum tree, or wandering the mountain trails around town, talking about anything that was on their minds. He couldn't know that this girl was about to become his whole world. That she would be everything he lived for, occupy his every thought, and change the course of his entire life. That her brother would curse this day, curse the boy and the ground he walked on, but that she wouldn't care, and she would defy his orders to avoid street children just to stay at the boy's side. He had no idea that he would fall desperately, hopelessly, and passionately in love with her but be too scared to admit it. That, when looking back on his life, he would think of this moment with a mixture of fond longing, intense yearning, and deep, deep regret. But what he did know was that the look on her face in that instant would plaster itself in his mind for the rest of his life. And it did.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

_Fifteen years later_

It had been five years since he had last seen her. Five years since he had left home with nothing but the clothes on his back and a single goal.

It hadn't been an easy run. He had managed to make it far enough down the coast to reach a small port, where his sturdy limbs and high tolerance for pain had found him a job crabbing. He hated the job more than anything, but it got him enough money to get started. Once he had saved enough, he bought a horse and some dried crab and headed inland, determined to sell his way up the financial ladder. He sold the crab for a profit in a highland town and purchased nuts, which were plentiful, and could then be sold for a profit in a city where they had a hard time growing them. Bit by bit he had amassed enough to obtain his goal; the confidence to propose to the love of his life.

Not that he thought she would care how much money he had. But he did. She was a noble after all, and he couldn't bear the thought of forcing her to live in poverty when she was accustomed to having everything she could ever wish for. And then there was her brother. Overbearing and cold as a glacier, he wouldn't release his little sister to just any man. A random street kid didn't stand a chance. But now, he was wealthy, or at least, had enough money to convince the man that he was, and he was ready.

He came into town and a wave of bitter nostalgia hit him. It hadn't changed one bit. The fierce caste system, the starving children, and the fat nobility were all the same. He passed some coins out to old friends as "souvenirs" and paused briefly at the old plum tree. It held so many memories for him of the girl who loved plum blossoms. The one who had stolen his heart. He sighed. He hadn't said goodbye to her properly, and his body cringed involuntarily at the thought of her welcome. She wasn't exactly a peaceful person, and he knew he would be bloody and bruised by the time she was done with him. But he would put up with that. For now, he had someone he needed to see. He wound his way down the streets until he reached her home. He took a deep breath and, for the first time in his life, knocked on her door.

A maid answered and when he said he was there to see the master of the house, he was led inside to a small sitting room and served tea. He tried desperately to calm his jittering nerves and clenched his teeth hard to keep them from chattering. He was usually an incredibly brave person, but the thought of what he was about to do struck a chill in his heart.

Finally, the door slid open and a man entered. He was tall and thin but wore it proudly, with elegant hair and a stubborn, haughty face. The boy hadn't seen him in years, but he sent a shiver down his spine nevertheless. This man had never thought highly of the boy, and he had hated the boy's relationship with his sister. He settled himself down across from the visitor and cleared his throat.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" he said with a voice that was utterly devoid of any kind of emotion. The boy took a deep breath, then pressed his forehead to the floor.

"Please give me your sister in marriage!" he said rather quickly, wanting it to be said and out in the open before he lost his confidence. There followed the longest, loudest silence the boy had ever experienced. It pressed against him like wet sand, and the deafening sound rang in his ears until he became worried that he wouldn't be able to hear the answer. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the man spoke.

"Unfortunately, you are a few years too late," he said coolly. "She is already married." The boy felt like all his bones had evaporated, along with the floor, and he was just a pile of jelly floating in a spinning room.

"What?" he asked in a strangled voice.

"Do not make me repeat myself. I said she is already married. She has moved out of the Valley of the Winds as well. If you have no more business with me, then I will excuse myself." The man rose but the boy didn't. His body could no longer remember how to move. The man paused briefly at the door, as if he was considering something. He took one last look at the boy, then reached into his kimono and pulled out a letter.

"She left this for you," he said simply. "I suppose you have earned it." And with that he swept out of the room, slamming the door a bit harder than was necessary.

The boy had no recollection of how long he sat on that floor. He also couldn't remember leaving the house. All he knew was that somehow, he was outside with his horses, clutching a letter in fist. He headed back to the plum tree in somewhat of a daze, his feet carrying him rather than his mind. Once he was settled against the truck, a branch being too fragile to support his weight now, his fingers opened the letter and he forced his numb mind to read.

_Renji,_

_ You are the most miserable, rude, horrible person I have ever had the displeasure to meet. How dare you just pick up and leave like that? I'm so going to kill you when I see you! But, I suppose you had your reasons. I hope you went out into the world and did something incredible. I envy you and your freedom to have adventures, you know that? You have to tell me everything, from start to finish and you're not allowed to leave out a single detail, ok! Anyway, I'm writing you this letter to give you some good news. I'm getting married. He's a high ranking government official who was here for a meeting or something, and he kind of swept me off my feet if you can believe it (oh, but don't tell him I said that or I'll die from embarrassment, after I kill you for spilling the beans). He's a good man. I know you'll like him. He kind of reminds me of you in a lot of ways, but he's got more guts than you do and he's a much bigger idiot. He's really good to me though. Really good. I know I'll be happy with him. So we're moving away because he doesn't live here and frankly, I'm glad to be out of this awful town. I'll put directions to our new house at the bottom of the letter. You absolutely must come see me you hear! I'll be waiting for you with lots of fresh plums!_

_ Rukia_

The boy didn't even look at the address. He didn't want to know. He just placed his head between his knees and, for the first time in his life, he cried.

**I'm not usually a Renji/Rukia pusher, but I do completely believe that Renji is in love with her, so in my world of fanshipping, this backstory makes sense. Let me know what you think :D **


	21. The Truth

**Wow, I am so so sorry for how long this chapter took, but every time I sat down to write it my mind just went blank and nothing would come out. It was amazingly difficult to write this chapter, and I think I lost track of the story about halfway through it. But anyway, I know where I am and where I'm headed now, so here's a longer-ish chapter to make up for not posting for a while. I hope it was worth the wait :P**

Rukia's eyes opened wide with surprise.

"Renji?" she asked, momentarily unsure. "Is that you?" Renji's lips widened into the fakest smile Karin had ever seen.

"Yo!" he said casually, rubbing the back of his neck like he did when he was nervous or uncomfortable. "Long time no see! How ya' been?" Rukia considered him for a moment, then walked right up to him and pummeled him square in the nose, causing him to fly backwards and land with a sickening crunch on the hard packed snow.

"Long time no see?" she seethed, fuming worse than a lion with a toothache. "Are you kidding me? It's been what, ten years since I last saw you? What's the matter, you couldn't find time in your busy schedule to drop by? Heck, you couldn't even send a damn _letter_?" She leaned over and yanked Renji up by his collar, shouting into his face at the top of her lungs. "You've got some balls to be showing your face here after all this time. If you think I'm letting you set one foot inside my house you've got another thing…"

"Um, Rukia?" Ichigo cautiously broke into his wife's tirade. "Who is this guy?" Rukia turned away from Renji to glare at her husband.

"My best friend," she answered, tightening her grip on Renji's collar and causing him to turn slightly blue. Ichigo shrugged.

"I figured as much," he said nonchalantly. Hanataro was gaping at the scene, his mouth hanging open like a dead fish. Karin was trying with all her might to stifle her laughter, her hand clamped tightly against her mouth as she struggled vainly to keep her snorts to a minimum. Orihime clung fearfully to Hitsugaya's hand, thoroughly confused by all the yelling. Hitsugaya simply sighed.

"This is so clearly your family," he said to Karin. That did it. Karin's precarious hold on her outburst broke like a dam and torrents of laughter flowed out of her so hard she almost choked.

Renji, who could no longer speak due to lack of oxygen, waved his arms frantically to get the attention of someone who would help him. Unfortunately, no one was willing.

"What?" Rukia spat. "You think someone like you actually _deserves_ air?" She gave his collar a violent shake, his head wobbling wildly as his neck quickly turned to jelly.

"Um, Rukia, maybe you should let him breathe," Ichigo advised, keeping a noticeable distance away from the predator and her pray. Rukia rounded on him.

"Don't you side with this pathetic waste of space!" she barked, shaking the rag doll formerly known as Renji.

"I'm not," Ichigo assured her. "But if you kill him in our front yard, we'll have to deal with the body, and I don't feel like doing the paperwork. If you're going to kill him, do it somewhere else." Rukia seriously considered this, then glanced at Renji who had turned as blue as a smurf and sighed.

"Fine," she said as she grudgingly released him. Renji held his throat as he gulped down enormous quantities of air and Hanataro rushed to his side to ensure that he was actually still alive. Rukia turned to the visiting party and her facial expression did a complete 180 from passionate rage to genuine pleasure as she looked at Karin.

"Yo, Karin, how've you been? I heard your dad hung you out to dry." Karin laughed.

"You have no idea. But it hasn't been so bad recently." She waved a hand at her traveling companions. "Having people to share the road with has really helped keep the boredom away."

"I think I'm supposed to take that as a complement, but I don't," Hitsugaya grumbled. Karin flashed him a bright grin.

"Well, everyone come on inside and you can tell us all about it." Ichigo cast wary glances at Karin's new male companions, as he herded them into the house. "I want to hear why you actually let oyaji get his way." Renji looked fearfully at Rukia, but she simply stuck her nose in the air and marched inside. He took this as as good an invitation to enter as he was going to get, so he followed the others. Ichigo led them down several long hallways lined with fresh shoji and elegantly painted wall scrolls and told them to sit in a decently sized room with a stunning table decorated with mother-of-pearl and gold leaf inlay depicting scenes from the epic tale, _Journey to the West_.

"Did your brother do the decorating?" Renji asked without thinking. "This is really his taste." He then started as he remembered that he probably shouldn't be speaking to Rukia, but she seemed to have gotten over the worse of her tantrum and settled for a glare as cold as death before responding politely.

"Yeah, he insisted on arranging the house, and since neither Ichigo nor I care that much, we just let him. It was easier than arguing, although personally, I would have liked something smaller. There's too much space in here for just the two of us."

"Then let's make it three…" Ichigo began, but was interrupted by a sharp jab to the gut, courtesy of Rukia.

"Go get tea!" she ordered, and Ichigo caved like wet paper.

"You don't want a baby neesan?" Karin asked, completely accepting the spousal abuse as a normal daily occurrence. Rukia shook her head.

"With that one?" she asked sarcastically, jabbing a thumb at the door Ichigo had just used. "The world has enough freaks as it is without bringing his child into the world. I know better." Karin snickered.

"Am I a freak?" Orihime asked, her eyes round and soft, and the question was so innocent that everyone in the room, including Hitsugaya laughed.

"Only if you want to be," Hitsugaya replied gently, a smile playing at the corner of his lips.

"Yay I'm a freak!" Orihime cheered, throwing her arms in the air in celebration and causing the room the break out in laughter again.

"Oi, Karin, who is this girl?" Rukia asked joyfully. "And, come to think of it, why the heck are you traveling with that lump of coal over there?" Renji did his best to appear as small as possible.

"I'll explain everything when Ichi-nii gets back," Karin assured her. "It's a great story. But really, I had no idea that your childhood friend you told us about was actually this Renji. Although I guess I can totally see him being the wild child you described him as." Renji looked hopeful. Rukia had actually mentioned him! But she continued to purposely ignore him as she engaged only Karin.

"Is he still as crazy now as he was when he was little?" she asked. Karin nodded fervently.

"He's almost as insane as I am!" Rukia laughed.

"Why am I not surprised?" Ichigo returned with tea and Karin launched into her story, starting with the letter her father had sent her, then chronicling her time with Hanataro as they bar hopped their way across the country. When she got to the part about meeting Hitsugaya and asking him to be her fiancé, Ichigo bolted to his feet.

"FIANCE!" he screamed. "Who, him? Says who?" Karin rolled her eyes.

"Relax Ichi-nii, I said _temporary_. As in, all I'm doing is introducing him to oyaji and then he's going to leave before the wedding. Oyaji sent me out to find one, so if I go home without one this whole thing was a waste of time remember?" Ichigo seemed to have lost his voice. He cast around for something to say, made several incomprehensible sounds, and was ripped off his feet by Rukia, who gave his kimono a violent tug.

"Relax idiot," she demanded. "It's Karin's life, she can do what she wants with it."

"Yeah but marrying some random guy she met in a random restaurant in a random city far from home? I mean who does that?" Rukia gave him a pointed glare.

"You." That shut Ichigo up and he crossed his arms in childish defeat.

"I'm still against it!" he insisted.

"What part of temporary don't you understand?" Karin asked in annoyance. "You're such a little kid Ichi-nii." Rukia laughed. Hitsugaya furtively avoided looking at any of them under the pretense of pouring more tea for Orihime.

Karin continued her story, and told them about meeting Renji at the sake drinking contest, the quest for the dancing rocks, and the exciting battle of the elevens vs. the wonder bubbles. They talked and talked as the sun disappeared and the stars came out. They paused briefly to light candles and eat dinner, and at some point, Orihime fell asleep, her head resting serenely on Hitsugaya's lap. Since she was asleep, Karin felt it was safe to add the tale of Mizuki and how Orihime joined their party.

"You've been through a lot in the last few months," Rukia noted. "It sounds like it was fun though."

"It was!" Karin beamed. "I hate to say it, but I think oyaji may have been right to send me on this ridiculous mission after all. I've had more fun in the last few months than I've had in my whole life." She yawned widely, stretching her face to the maximum. "But now I want to sleep. I'll take Orihime-chan," she told Hitsugaya. "I'm not letting her sleep alone with a lollicon like you." Hitsugaya looked like he wanted to retort, but he settled for a scoff and placed Orihime in Karin's arms.

"I'll show you where your room is Toushiro," Ichigo offered. Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow at this unusual gesture of kindness from a man who he thought hated him for breathing, but didn't say anything. "Hanataro, you remember where you're staying right?"

"Of course Ichigo-dono," Hanataro replied merrily. "Have a pleasant evening." The three groups went their separate ways, leaving Rukia and Renji alone. Renji shifted uncomfortably.

"Um, well, I guess I should find somewhere to sleep too," he said awkwardly, slowly getting to his feet, but Rukia wouldn't hear of it.

"Sit!" she ordered, and Renji complied. There followed a rather tense moment, but Rukia wasn't about to let it loiter.

"I think you have a lot of things you need to tell me," she began in a kinder voice than she had used towards him all evening. "I get it that you showed up here completely by accident, but why? Why did you avoid me all this time? Why didn't you come visit on your own? I know nii-sama gave you that letter, he told me so. What took you so long? And why…why did you leave in the first place? Why did you leave me alone?" She looked into his eyes and Renji was shocked to find that there were tears twinkling in the corners. "Why didn't you take me with you?"

Renji looked away, worried that if he gazed into her eyes any more, he would lose control of himself. He took a deep breath, wanting to ask the question he had been dying to ask ever since he met the angle in the plum tree. But as the opened his mouth to speak, the words that came out were not the ones he was expecting.

"Rukia, you never loved me did you?" As he heard those words linger in the room, echoing loudly off the silent walls, Renji realized that he knew the truth. He had always known the truth. The reason he had left without saying anything, the reason he hadn't had the courage to propose to her face, the reason he had never come to visit after all this time. It was why he kept traveling without settling down, why he sought escape in the arms of countless geisha, why he drowned his sorrows in sake. Why he had learned to fight. Because the truth had been obvious. She didn't love him. She never had. Some part of Renji had always known that, but he had refused to believe it, had locked it away deep in his heart so that he wouldn't have to listen to it, instead finding countless other activities to distract him from facing reality. But now, sitting in that room lit only by the flickering candle light, with Rukia closer than she had been in ages, it had never been more apparent. He couldn't deny it anymore.

Rukia sighed. She gave Renji a glance filled with longing, affection, and apology.

"Renji, I honestly don't know what I would have done without you. You gave my life purpose again. You smiled for me when no one else would and you were there for me when I needed someone the most. But no. I never did love you. I mean come on. Your nose is way too big." Renji almost chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. You always hated people with big noses. Hey, remember the time we found old man Yamamoto asleep and painted his nose purple with berry juice?" Rukia laughed.

"Nii-sama wouldn't let me out of the house for a week but it was so worth it." She gave Renji an incredibly fond look. "I've missed you you know. You should come visit again." Renji nodded.

"I will."

**Don't worry, the conversation between Hitsugaya and Ichigo, as well as Hitsugaya's thoughts on the whole "temporary fiancé" matter will appear in the next chapter. I didn't forget about him, but I thought that since I started this segment with the whole Rukia/Renji thing, I should finish with them before moving on to the HitsuKarin part. It's coming, I promise. I think you'll all really like the next chapter :)**


	22. On Sake and Special Moments

**For those of you who think that HitsuKarin haven't gotten enough air time, that is about to change :)**

Hitsugaya thought he was prepared for the rant Ichigo was about to give him, but he was not ready for the keen perception of a man who had, up until that point, done little more than yell loudly and acquiesce to his wife's commands. Ichigo waited until they had reached the privacy of Hitsugaya's room before rounding on him.

"So what's the deal with you and my sister?" he asked without preamble. Hitsugaya willed himself to keep in irritation in check.

"I believe she told you," he replied coolly. "She is paying me to escort her home and introduce myself to your father as her fiancé. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Don't give me that crap!" Ichigo spat. "I saw the way you looked at her. Like you…you…you really respect her and care for her and all that." Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow.

"Is that a bad thing? We have been traveling together for months. I certainly feel companionship for her. And I respect women in general. Do you think that's wrong of me?" His eyes narrowed and he was pleased to find Ichigo balking under his harsh gaze. Ichigo scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably, the same way Renji always did, and Hitsugaya appreciated, not for the first time that night, how similar the two of them were. No wonder they loved the same woman.

"No, I guess not," Ichigo replied awkwardly. He sighed. "Look, it's not that I don't want Karin to get married, especially when oyaji is breathing down her neck to do it, it's just that I want her to find the right guy, you know? Someone reliable and dependable who can keep an eye on her, because kami knows she needs it." Hitsugaya smirked despite himself. "Now I'm not saying there's anything wrong with you, but seriously, you are just some random guy she found. How much can she really know about you? How do I know you're not really a serial killer or something? How do I know I can trust you?"

"You don't," Hitsugaya replied honestly, eyes boring into Ichigo's skull. "You'll never know if you can trust me because you'll never want to trust me, just as you would never want to trust any man who ends up with her. But I care about the welfare of your sister and that should be enough for you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I am very tired and wish to sleep." Ichigo looked like he wanted to say something else, but couldn't formulate the words properly.

"Just don't do anything stupid," he warned. "I'm watching you." Hitsugaya tried very hard not to roll his eyes. Ichigo left and Hitsugaya slid the shoji closed, isolating himself inside the room. Once he was alone, he slid to the floor and leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes in exasperation.

"How do I know you're not a serial killer huh?" He smirked ruefully. "If only he knew." Hitsugaya felt like he had a thousand thoughts spinning in his head and he closed his eyes against the dizzying sensation of his emotions. Back at Mizuki's house, Karin and called him her fiancé without any further explanation. That had left him surprised, but decidedly happy. He didn't know if Karin realized that she did it, or if she had even meant anything by it, but a small part of him had been hopeful that she was trying to tell him something indirectly. But after her constant insistence tonight that he was simply a temporary fiancé, he was sure she had just been too lazy to bother explaining the situation properly to Mizuki. Did that mean that she really thought of him as nothing more than a temporary fiancé, or was it that she didn't want to subject him to her brother's interrogation so she had purposely emphasized the fact that they weren't really engaged? The truth was that they weren't. Neither of them had said anything to the contrary, and while they joked about it all the time, there had yet to be any solid indication that there was actually going to be a wedding at the end of this whole mess.

Hitsugaya sighed. Did he really want there to be a wedding? He wasn't even entirely sure himself. All he knew was that he cared about Karin to an unnatural extent. And it was different from his feelings towards the other women he cared about, like Matsumoto. She had been like an older sister but Karin, Karin was special. He wasn't sure when exactly it had happened, but he was sure that, whether they actually got married or not, he was not content with just leaving Karin's side and pretending that nothing had happened. He wanted to remain with her, of that he was certain. But he had absolutely no idea how Karin felt about the whole thing, and if she kept sending him mixed signals the way she was, he was sure that none of his questions were ever going to be answered unless he asked her outright. He didn't think he had the strength to do something like that unless he was willing to unseal his sword to defend himself in case he was wrong. He did not want to be on the receiving end of Karin's temper unarmed.

He glanced at the futon that had been laid out for him and realized that he was never going to sleep with his mind racing the way it was, so he decided that a moonlit stroll might do him some good. Leaving the main house behind, Hitsugaya wandered along a covered pathway that wound around the house, leaving him exposed to the elements and the frigid night air. The chill felt good to him and his busy mind so he meandered slowly, using his past training to avoid making a sound; he didn't want to wake anyone. He turned a corner and saw a person sitting on the edge of the walkway, sipping sake thoughtfully, his steady breathing creating small plumes of smoke that hovered around him momentarily before dissipating into the frosty eve. Hitsugaya approached him.

"Good evening Abarai," he greeted, and Renji nearly leapt out of his skin and reached instinctively for his sword before he realized who it was.

"Toushiro, man, don't you have footsteps?" he gasped, clutching his chest. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"It is the middle of the night," Hitsugaya pointed out, sitting down at Renji's side. "I thought it would be rude to make too much noise."

"Yeah but you could have given me more warning. That took years off my life you know."

"You'll survive." Renji was mildly curious as to why Hitsugaya was awake and exploring the house alone at midnight, but he was too wrapped up in his own thoughts to bother asking. Instead he held up his sho of sake.

"Want some?" he offered. Hitsugaya glanced momentarily at the sho before shrugging.

"Sure, why not." He took the proffered sho and cup and was grateful that Renji didn't rag him about the fact that he was drinking when he had refused every other time insisting that he hated the stuff. They sat in companionable silence, watching the moon and sipping sake, each man lost in his own complex thoughts. Neither of them felt the need to speak, but they could feel that the other had something heavy on his mind, and the ability to just sit with someone who was having similar difficulties was incredibly cathartic. Hitsugaya never would have believed that he could share a moment like this with someone like Renji, but the months of travel and shared experiences had created something akin to friendship, and the camaraderie they had was exactly what they both needed right now.

Hitsugaya was unsure how long they sat there. His body cooled down and he shivered, pulling his cloak closer to him, but he had no great desire to move and break the spell that had been cast over the silent winter night. It was Renji who spoke first.

"Hey, Toushiro," Hitsugaya looked over at him and noticed that the man looked distant and forlorn, but oddly peaceful at the same time, as if he had finally settled something inside that he had been wrestling with for many years. "I know I'm probably the last person you want advice from, but tonight I really don't care what you think." He sighed deeply, and looked Hitsugaya dead in the eye, with a more serious face than Hitsguaya had ever seen on him. "If you love her, go after her. Don't hold back. Tell her how you feel, because if you don't say anything and let her slip away because you're too proud or stubborn or scared, you'll regret it for the rest of your life." Renji's words hung in the still air like a thick mist, feeling more intense and profound in the brilliant moonlight and the arctic surroundings, like the snow itself was agreeing with him. Despite himself, Hitsugaya felt captivated by those words, as if Renji was speaking directly to his soul, washing away all his insecurities and doubts, as if the Renji who sat with him under that frigid starry sky knew the wisdom of the ages and had just shared with him a piece of priceless, sacred knowledge. It was a terrifying thought.

The sound of soft footsteps broke into the sacred moment and they glanced up to see Karin coming down the walkway, her thick black traveling cloak clutched tightly around her shoulders. She stopped dead when she saw them and stared at them in shock.

"What are you doing up?" Hitsugaya asked, as surprised to see her as she was to see them.

"I was thirsty so I went to get a drink, but then I heard voices so I thought I'd come see who was crazy enough to be outside on a night like this. I honestly never expected to find you two. Is there something about your relationship that you're not telling me?" Hitsugaya shot her a look of pure poison. Karin laughed and plopped down beside him.

"Well, I hate to be a light bulb, so I'm off to bed," Renji announced, getting up and stretching exaggeratedly to force blood back into his frozen limbs. "You guys can finish that up for me." He indicated the sho of sake in Hitsugaya's hand, who realized, far too late, that there was no way he could hide the fact that he had been drinking from Karin. He scowled, thoroughly put out.

"What…Renji, you actually got Toushiro to drink?" Karin exclaimed, but he had already disappeared, leaving Hitsugaya and Karin alone. Karin turned back to Hitsguaya, excitement glittering in her eyes.

"How the heck did he manage to get you to drink? Don't tell me Ichi-nii drove you to insanity." Hitsugaya smirked.

"No, but he made a decent effort."

"So what brought about this miracle?" Karin goaded. "I thought you couldn't hold your liquor or you hated the taste or something." Hitsugaya stared unseeingly at the icy garden, casually taking another sip.

"I never said I couldn't drink, I just said I don't. It brings back some bitter memories I'd really rather forget."

"Oh?" Karin asked curiously. "What kind of memories?"

"I said I'd rather forget them. I don't really want to talk about them."

"Sorry," Karin apologized quickly, feeling sufficiently reprimanded. "So are you drunk?" she asked in an attempt to cover her blunder. Hitsugaya shook his head.

"You probably don't believe me, but my tolerance for alcohol is higher than yours. Although I haven't had any in many years, so I may have softened a bit."

"So is tonight special or something?" Karin asked, still wondering what on Earth had driven the sake-hater to drink. Hitsugaya didn't reply. He sipped his sake slowly, savoring its sweet yet fiery taste. Karin's face was eager and excited. Her cheeks were apple red courtesy of the temperature, and the moonlight reflecting off the snow lit her face majestically. She was stunning, more beautiful than he had ever seen her. Renji's words were still burning in his ears, and the conversation at dinner tugged at his chest. Something about the evening was forcing him to face his emotions head on, with no illusions or complications. He looked at Karin's expectant facial expression and knew that the time had come to be honest.

"I was thinking," he began carefully. "We're going to reach Karakura rather soon, and I will, as promised, introduce myself to your father as your fiancé, but we haven't really talked about what's going to happen after that. Are you really ok with me just sneaking away like nothing's happened? Truthfully, it kind of makes me feel like one of Abarai's whores. This has become more than just a job for me. You're…special to me now, and I don't think I'm content with just disappearing from your life after I've served my purpose." He waited with baited breath for Karin's answer, but considering how much courage he had had to muster to give that confession, Karin seemed remarkably unfazed by it.

"Yeah, I guess I've kind of grown attached to you," she replied noncommittally. "I…" Suddenly her voice died in her throat. Hitsugaya's eyes were intense and fierce. Karin sighed. She knew she had been beating around the bush with her feelings for him, but she had had no clue how he felt about her. Words like that from this soft spoken man were as good as a love confession. For some reason, this made her inexplicably joyful, and her heart swelled uncontrollably. She had been ready to brush him off lightly and tease him a bit, but she changed her mind mid-thought process. Now was not the time for jokes. Hitsugaya was being deadly serious and she owed it to him to be just as serious in her reply.

"Toushiro, are you proposing?" It was not a tease, nor a joke, nor a light brush off of his confession. It was a sincere question. Hitsugaya balked, not sure himself of the answer. This all seemed so sudden and unplanned, and he wasn't sure if he could blame it on the sake, or Renji's words, or the magical quality of the night, but as Karin's stare pinned him down, he found himself answering automatically, as if his heart knew what his brain was unwilling to admit.

"I think I might be," he answered, matching Karin's sharp gaze with one of his own. They glared at each other, faces set, eyes determined, the atmosphere more of someone who had just challenged another other to a fight to the death rather than proposed marriage.

Suddenly, without warning, Karin laughed. Her voice rang through the otherwise soundless air, resonating with the harsh landscape and causing the surroundings to take on an ethereal glow, the dead landscape bursting to life as it danced with the music of her laughter.

"You think you can handle someone like me?" she asked, laughter etched across her face. Hitsugaya smirked.

"No. But I'm willing to give it a shot." Karin grinned at him.

"Alright then."

"Alright what?" Karin gave him a fond look.

"What do you think idiot? You're no longer my temporary fiancé. You're the real deal. Happy?" Happy? Scared out of his mind was more like it. What the heck had possessed him to do something so rash and crazy? Part of him was convinced that this whole fiasco was just some wild, liquor induced dream that he would soon awake from with a pounding headache and a blessed return to normalcy. But Karin's tender look, vibrant grin, and hand squeezing his was _very real_. His brain short circuited and he lost all ability for higher cognitive function.

"Your hand is freezing!" Karin noted. "Are you cold?" Hitsugaya's mouth had completely forgotten how to form anything remotely resembling words, but he managed a small nod. "Let's get some sleep. Ichi-nii will have a heart attack if we're both exhausted and hypothermic tomorrow." Somehow, Karin managed to get Hitsugaya to his feet and back down the pathway to his room, never at any point releasing his hand. It no longer felt like a part of his body, but like a warm beacon that he was vaguely aware of being in contact with. When they reached his room Karin turned to him and gave him a 1,000 watt grin.

"Night Toushiro!" she chimed. She gave his hand a final squeeze and left him standing there, abandoned and confused as she returned to her own room. Hitsugaya couldn't remember how he managed to find his way into his futon, nor did he notice that his ears had developed a mild case of frostbite. All he knew was that, immediately before dropping off to sleep, he had smiled.

**Sorry peps, but the kiss will have to wait for another time. Remember the period that this story is taking place in was very conservative about that kind of stuff, and even someone spontaneous like Karin probably wouldn't have kissed him then. Besides, they're both still a little confused, but happy confused. I know I've totally neglected HitsuKarin for the longest time, but I hope this made up for it a little.**

**Author's Note: A "light bulb" is Hong Kong slang for what we in America call a "third wheel." It's basically the third person intruding on a private moment between a couple. The term light bulb is because the person is lighting up something that is supposed to be kept in the dark. I used light bulb rather than third wheel here because I totally love the term and don't think enough people are aware of it. (For more of my thoughts on the term light bulb, see my fic "The Light Bulb")**


	23. A Wrench in Their Plans

**So, I blame my inexcusably long absence this time on our beloved fanfiction. net. Every since they updated the site, I've had trouble using it. I haven't been able to access the document manager or the "my stories" page to update. Even now I can't really do it, but I managed to backdoor my way in by searching through my history to find those pages. If anyone has advice to fix this problem, please let me know. Thanks!**

**Oh, also, thanks to Moon of Jupiter for pointing out my mistake in the last chapter. They are in Edo Japan so Renji would have no idea what a light bulb is, so as much as I like the phrase, he never would have used it. Oh well :P**

Hitsugaya awoke the next morning with a roaring headache. He thought briefly that it may be due to the sake, but quickly dismissed the idea. The pittance he had drank last night was a far cry from what he used to throw back on an almost daily basis; last night he might very well have been drinking water for all the effect it had on him. No, this was caused by something else, something much deeper and more important. He ran over yesterday's events in his mind and the memories crashed down on him like icy water. He and Karin were engaged. Of course, they had been engaged before, but now they were _really_ engaged. The headache, he concluded, was due to the thought of telling Renji and that crazed brother about it. It was an amazingly unappealing prospect.

Despite his dread, Hitsugaya couldn't help but smile a bit. They were engaged! He let that thought wash over him, soothing his headache ever so slightly. It was easier to think about the consequences of his rash actions on this side of sleep and he determined that he didn't regret them one bit. He loved Karin. It had taken him longer than other members of their party to figure it out, but he finally knew it was the truth. Carrying that fact with him, he rose from the futon and went to join the others for breakfast.

Everyone else was already eating when he arrived.

"Oh how nice of you to join us," Renji commented obnoxiously. "You had a nice little sleep-in. What's the matter? Hung over?" Hitsugaya scoffed.

"Hardly." Damn. Any thought he may have had about asking Hanataro for some painkillers quickly vanished and his headache was making a rousing comeback. He took his place and pulled his rice bowl towards him as nonchalantly as he could with the pressure pulsing behind his eyeballs. He glanced over at Karin who gave him a warmer smile than usual and he buried his face in his food, praying that he cheeks weren't red.

"You ok Tou-nii?" Orihime asked with concern. "You don't look so good."

"Don't worry Orihime-chan, I'm just a little tired," he assured her, pointedly avoiding the knowing looks Renji was shooting him. What a royal pain that man was sometimes.

"So Karin," Ichigo mercifully cut in, "what's your deal? Are you guys gonna hang around for a bit?" Karin opened her mouth to reply but Hanataro beat her to it.

"As much as we would love to stay, Ichigo-dono, I'm afraid we don't have time. We have to get ojosama home by her birthday and I don't want to take any chances by being lazy here when we're already so close."

"Always the worrywart," Karin groaned. "What's wrong with relaxing here for a few days? The roads are icy anyway. It's not like we're going to make a lot of progress even if we do leave."

"If we wait for the ice to melt then we'll be way too behind schedule to catch up. We should cover ground while we can."

"Still the same old pessimist, aren't you Hanataro?" Ichigo teased. Hanataro flushed.

"I…I'm just being realistic," he defended nervously. "You know how ojosama is, and if I let her stay here too long, we'll never get her home." Ichigo, Rukia, Renji, and Karin all burst out laughing at this statement.

"Sometimes I forget just how well Nezumi-chan knows me," Karin said with a sigh. "Ok fine, you win. We'll hit the road after breakfast." Karin then engaged Ichigo and Rukia in a long conversation about friends from home. Breakfast finished without a single mention of the change in the engagement status, something for which both Hitsugaya and his headache were incredibly grateful.

They packed the wagon quickly. Rukia thoughtfully gave them some blankets to stave off the biting cold, but, while Karin gratefully accepted the blankets, she refused Ichigo's offer of money.

"That's your hard earned rho Ichi-nii. I'm not taking it from you just because oyaji's an idiot."

"You were the one that spent it all ojosama," Hanataro reminded her.

"Yeah, but if oyaji hadn't kicked me out of the house, I wouldn't have had to spend anything."

"You really need to stop whining about that Karin," Ichigo reprimanded. "You can't tell me that you haven't enjoyed this trip a little." Karin looked at Hitsugaya for a bit longer than he was comfortable with before replying.

"Oh yeah, it's been a total blast, but I still don't like the fact that I had no choice in the matter." Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"Yeah yeah, whatever." He gave Karin an enormous grin and she hugged him despite herself.

"We won't make it for your birthday, but we should be there soon after," Ichigo told her. "Our horses are much faster than your wagon."

"You're coming to Karakura?" Renji asked. Rukia nodded.

"We always come to visit in the spring. So don't you dare run off before we get there! Understood." Renji sighed.

"Yes maim." He and Rukia exchanged a very knowing smile.

"I'm watching you," Ichigo told Hitsugaya. "Don't you dare make my sister cry, or I swear I'll wring your neck." Hitsugaya brushed him off with a wave of his arm and helped Orihime into the wagon. There was absolutely no way he was telling this man that they were actually engaged until after the wedding had already occurred. He liked his head where it was.

Ichigo slapped Hanataro on the back, sending him sprawling into the side of the wagon and they said their final goodbyes still laughing at Hanataro's expense. Renji steered the horses back through town and out onto the open road. The sky was a perfect blue and the brilliant sun reflected off the snow banks like glittering diamonds. Mounds of snow blanketed the tree branches, forcing them to bow low to the ground under the weight. They moved slowly and carefully, but managed to make significant progress considering the circumstances. The addition of blankets to the wagon was an enormous improvement, and Renji helped distract them from the cold by telling them stories from his childhood. He seemed to have settled his internal struggle over Rukia and felt comfortable sharing fond memories of her with the rest of the party.

That night they rented two rooms in a dilapidated tavern on the edge of a rather unscrupulous little town that seemed packed to the rafters with every kind of thief and vermin this side of the Pacific Ocean. The floors creaked and the roof leaked, and Hitsugaya was pretty sure that every patron in the pub downstairs wanted to slit their throats. Under normal circumstances, Hanataro would have refused outright to stay there, but their budget was tight as it was and it was dark and below freezing outside so he conceited, with the condition that they leave at dawn.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans for them.

"Are you ok Orihime?" Hitsugaya asked at breakfast.

"Huh?" she asked, as if in a daze. "I think so."

"You're all red."

"Yeah, you're right, she is," Karin added. Hanataro leaned across the table and felt her forehead.

"She's burning up!" he exclaimed.

"No, I'm not sick!" Orihime protested. "I feel fine! We can keep moving."

"We're not going anywhere with you in that condition," Hitsugaya insisted, and everyone else nodded.

"But…but then Karin-neesan might not get home on time!" Karin laughed.

"As if I really care about that more than your health. We'll figure it out. Let's get you upstairs to rest."

Hitsugaya carried Orihime upstairs and placed her in bed while Hanataro mixed a medicine to lower her fever. Once she was soundly asleep, they gathered in the boys' room to assess the situation.

"It's just a mild flu," Hanataro told them. "Nothing serious, but considering how cold it is outside, we shouldn't travel until she recovers. That being said, if we're going to stay here, we're going to need some money. I think I should take one of the horses and go back to Ichigo-dono's house to…"

"No!" Karin said flatly. "We are _not_ taking money from him. We'll find another way. We've done it before."

"You mean the sake drinking contest?" Hitsugaya asked. "Technically, you didn't make any money."

"So? It worked out just fine in the end didn't it? Renji's giving us a ride so everything's ok."

"So what are you proposing?" Renji asked. "Got any get rich quick schemes you've been holding out on?"

"We could get jobs," Hanataro suggested. Karin laughed.

"In this town? If you think you can do a day of honest labor and get paid for it, then go right ahead. Unless you're willing to become an assassin, I think honest work is out considering our location."

"Renji could sell something," Hanataro said, grasping at straws. "You still have some dancing rocks left…"

"Yeah, but I'd go broke selling them here. Besides, I don't really like the idea of selling dancing rocks to these criminals." Hanataro looked defeated. Suddenly, Karin's face lit up.

"Why don't we go bounty hunting?" she suggested, her eyes gleaming excitedly. "That pub downstairs is swarming with guys who have enough bounty on their heads to pay our way home."

"Absolutely not!" Hanataro stated soundly. "I don't want to be involved with something like that! What if something happened?" Karin rolled her eyes.

"Nezumi-chan, when will you grow up and learn to live a little? How many freak shows have I beat up on this trip? Besides, it's not like we haven't done it before. You even helped take down the wonder bubbles." Hanataro blushed.

"Yes, but that was…"

"I like it," Renji cut him off. "Sounds interesting. Got a plan?" Karin grinned, glad someone was agreeing with her.

"If we try to nab him in the pub, other thugs may get involved, so we've got to get him alone first. We could do it just like we did with the elevens. I can get all dressed up in that kimono Matsumoto gave me, flirt with our target, and convince him to come upstairs with me. Then I can take him down in the room and we can package him up and hand him in. You three can hang in the pub and keep an eye out in case anything goes wrong. Whaddya think?"

**For some reason, this chapter was ridiculously difficult to write, but the next one will have some excellent HitsuKarin goodness it in, so please stay tuned. I am still with you!**


	24. Hidden Talents

**So, I know I just came back from a really long absence, but I'm leaving tomorrow for the holy land (and by that I mean Japan of course :D) and will be gone for about 6 weeks. I may not always have internet and I don't know how much writing I'll get done, but there should be at least one post while I'm gone. Sorry this had to happen right after my really long break, but I hope you'll stick with me through this. There's some really exciting stuff coming up!**

After some extraneous protesting by Hanataro, and a change in the plan that he should stay with Orihime in case she needed him instead, everyone agreed to Karin's bounty hunting idea and they went about making preparations. Luckily, the town they were in was simply crawling with wanted criminals, so there was very little difficulty in finding a target. The walls of every surface in town were littered with undesirable faces, placing a price tag on the heads of countless individuals. They decided to begin their search in their own pub and selected a scrawny young man with a face like meatloaf and twitchy fingers who was wanted, according to the posters, for peddling illegal drugs and selling fake medicine. He wasn't a high profile criminal, but his bounty was enough to pay their bills for the rest of the trip and, more importantly, they knew from speaking with the barmaid that he ate dinner at the pub alone every single night without fail.

"It's as if he's asking to get caught," Renji mused. "Sticking to a strict schedule like that. It's amazing no one's got him yet."

"Maybe he's not important enough," Karin replied. "His bounty isn't exactly high."

After gathering the necessary information, they retired to their rooms to prepare. Karin didn't have any makeup and they didn't want to waste money to buy some, but said she wanted to at least take a stab at her hair. After an hour of fighting with her raggedy ends however, she finally threw the brush at her mirror in frustration, fracturing the glass like a spider web.

"Ojosama!" Hanataro cried. "Now we're going to have to add that to the bill!"

"How do women _do_ this?" Karin screamed in exacerbation. "I seriously don't have the slightest clue where to even start. Renji, you spend a lot of time with girls. Any tips?" Renji laughed.

"Yeah, I'm an expert at taking out a hairstyle, but as for doing one, I know about as much as you do."

"Useless!" she scolded. "What am I supposed to do now?"

"You could ask Orihime-chan," Renji offered. "Maybe she knows something." However one look at Orihime nixed that idea. She was sound asleep despite all the noise, her breathing heavy and her face deeply flushed. Hanataro changed the cool cloth they kept on her forehead.

"Maybe I could snag someone off the street," Karin pondered. "Or I could ask that barmaid, she probably knows…"

"Sit down," Hitsugaya ordered, picking her brush off the floor. "I'll do it."

"You know how to do hair?" Karin asked, utterly startled. "If you knew, why did you let me fight with this for ages? And how the heck do you know how to do a woman's hair?" Hitsugaya didn't reply, and when Karin realized she wasn't going to get a straight answer out of him no matter how much she prodded, she as she was told and sat back down in front of the now useless mirror. Hitsugaya's hands on her head were incredibly gentle and skillful as he combed and curled her hair into a simple, yet elegant style. Renji and Hanataro gaped at him the entire time. When he finished, Karin looked at herself, reflected a hundred times in the fly's eye projection off the broken mirror and stared. He had managed to make her dead, lifeless hair look alive and cheerful, playful and seductive at the same time. It looked just as stunning as it had the night Matsumoto had done it, only this style was more personal, more intimately "Karin", and fit her slightly better.

"Where the heck did you learn how to do this?" she asked again, overwhelmed with awe and surprise. "Were you a barber in a past life? Oh, let me guess, you have lots of sisters." Hitsugaya shrugged.

"Just something I picked up."

"Knowledge of styling women's hair is _not_ something you just _pick up_!" Karin groaned, feeling as if they had had this conversation before. "Honestly, they say men of mystery are attractive, but you're downright scary. What other amazing talents are you hiding?"

"I make a mean cup of green tea." Karin sighed in defeat.

"Yeah yeah, I get it. Now all of you get out so I can attempt to get this kimono on."

"If you need help, I know how to do that too," Hitsugaya offered. Karin rolled her eyes.

"Of course you do. You just want to watch me change." Hitsugaya tried and failed to hide his blush.

"No, I'm serious," he defended, ignoring Renji's snickering as best he could. "It's nearly impossible to get a kimono on by yourself. You might brake an arm or something if you're not careful."

"And you know this why? Oh never mind. Just get out." Hitsugaya shrugged.

"Suit yourself." Karin herded Hitsugaya, Renji, and Hanataro out into the hall, where they amused themselves by listening to the crashes and swears that came through the door as Karin tried in vain to navigate the complexities of the kimono.

"So what's her name?" Renji pried eagerly. Hitsugaya glared at him.

"Who's name?" Renji nudged him in the chest.

"Don't play dumb. The girl obviously. You're an expert at styling hair and putting on kimonos. Unless you have a cross-dressing habit you're not telling us about, you have to have had a girl."

"If I knew all those things because I had a girl Abarai, then I would be skilled in removing clothing, not putting it on. You said so yourself." Renji considered this.

"True, but still. Those are unusual talents for a guy to possess. Sometimes I think Karin's right. You're way too close-lipped about your past. What are you so ashamed of?"

"That's none of your business Abarai." Renji shrugged.

"I guess not, but it _is_ Karin's business. As your fiancé, real or fake, she has a right to know." Hitsugaya opened his mouth to reply, but changed his mind. He didn't want to validate Renji's statement with an answer. Thankfully, Karin chose that moment to make a particularly loud crashing sound, coupled with a pained cry.

"You alright in there?" Hitsugaya asked. "Don't go messing up your hair." The door was ripped open, and Karin stood there, red faced and furious, dressed only in her white under-robe.

"Toushiro, get your butt in here and show me how to put this damn thing on!" she commanded. Before he could respond, Karin grabbed his collar and yanked him into the room, slamming the door behind them. Karin tossed the kimono unceremoniously at Hitsugaya.

"How do you _do_ this?" she barked. "There are like forty layers to that thing." Hitsugaya smiled ruefully and smoothed the kimono affectionately, admiring the intricate patterns that laced the surface of the glossy silk. He absently traced a leaf pattern with his finger. It had been a long time since he had seen this kimono up close. Frankly, he never expected to see it again, and the fact that Karin now owned it was nothing short of a miracle. But, at the same time, he was extremely unsettled that not only the first, but also the second time Karin was wearing the kimono was to flirt with another man. The thought hit him hard as he held the precious kimono and he felt himself grow jealous despite himself.

"Oi, are you going to keep fondling that thing, or are you going to help me get it on?" Hitsugaya looked at her, slightly startled.

"What, sorry, I just…it's a…a really pretty kimono," he said lamely.

"Yeah, it is. I can't believe Matsumoto was willing to part with it so easily." Hitsugaya knew _exactly_ why Matsumoto had parted with it so easily, and the thought alone made him nervous.

"Well, it suits you," he added, hoping Karin didn't notice his unease. Karin blushed.

"Thanks," she replied awkwardly. The silence dragged on, and it was then that they both seemed to realize that they were alone, (the passed out Orihime wasn't waking up any time soon), and that Karin was only partially dressed.

"Come…come here," Hitsugaya stuttered. "I'll help you get this on." The kimono had many layers and levels, but Hitsugaya knew what he was doing as he carefully draped layer after layer over Karin's shoulders, tying and fastening each garment into place with expert skill. Histugaya's movements were incredibly soft and deft as he ensured that each tuck and fold was in its proper place. Neither of them spoke. The silence was powerful enough and the room was thick with desire and emotion. It was the first time they had done something so intimate together, so they savored it, and Hitsugaya took longer than was really necessary to finish. They completed the project together and Hitsugaya finally tied the obi in place and spun Karin around to see his work. He found, however, that his eyes were drawn only to her face, her glowing eyes and her chapped lips. Her face was so much more captivating than anything she was wearing. Hitsugaya couldn't bring himself to break the silence and tell her how incredible she looked. Instead, he took a step towards her, placed his hand lightly on her cheek, and slowly brought his face to hers. Karin didn't move. She simply closed her eyes and allowed Hitsugaya to continue his journey towards her. It felt like an eternity, like time was standing still, like they were the only two people on earth. They could feel the other's breath on their faces. Hitsugaya closed his eyes and…

"What the heck are you two doing in there?" came an irritated voice from behind the door, and Hitsugaya ripped away from Karin as fast as he could. "If you don't hurry up and get Karin's clothes on, the target's going to leave." Hitsugaya honestly felt as though he could strangle Renji at that moment. After all his pushing and prodding and attempts to get him and Karin together, he just had to go and interrupt them _then_. It was almost comical.

They hadn't kissed, but the moment was sufficiently broken, and they were both too embarrassed to continue. Karin let the others in, and they studied Hitsugaya's handiwork with awe.

"You weren't kidding when you said you could put on a kimono," Renji said in shock.

"You thought I was lying?" Hitsugaya asked. Renji shrugged.

"Can you blame me for thinking that you really just wanted to watch Karin change?" Hitsugaya and Karin both blushed, the memory of what had just happened still very fresh in their minds.

"C…Come on guys," Karin broke in, wanting very much to change the awkward mood hanging in the air. "Let's do this."

**Yay, more HitsuKarin goodness! Hopefully this with satiate you if I can't post for a bit, but I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise!**


	25. Bounty Hunting

**Yay, I finally got access to the internet! That means you all get an update. Rejoice :)**

It had taken Karin so long to get ready that it was already time to begin the operation. They left Hanataro and Orihime in the girls' room and headed down to the pub.

"Remember guys, don't come in the room until I call you," Karin reminded them. "If you barge in too early, you'll blow my cover." Renji and Hitsugaya nodded, then entered the pub first, staking out a table in the corner. Sure enough, their target was seated at the bar, eating his solitary meal. They ordered a sho of sake so as not to look suspicious, but Hitsugaya pointedly ignored it. He had had enough of sake the other night. When Karin entered a few minutes later, she lit up the entire room. Every head in the pub turned her way and Hitsugaya felt a renewed surge of jealousy that she was not only going to flirt with another man, but that she was going to do it in _that_ kimono. But he held his tongue. She belonged to him now, and that was enough for him.

"Is this seat taken?" Karin asked the target as sweetly as she could, indicating the empty space beside him. He turned his squashed face towards her and grinned slyly.

"It is now," he replied. "Whach'ya drinkin'?"

"Sake's just fine." The target signalled the barmaid, who raised an incredulous eyebrow at Karin but didn't say anything. She delivered the sake and returned to work.

"So what's a chick like you doin' in a town like this?" the target wondered, leaning casually on his elbow so as to look at Karin better. Karin decided to try a different angle than she had with the wonder bubbles. Something a bit more sarcastic was much more her style, and without the crutch of Matsumoto, she couldn't play the innocent type convincingly.

"Oh you know," she said airily. "I guess I'm just looking for a bit of trouble. Something fun and wild. This seemed like the right place."

"You got that right dollface. And you sure as heck picked the right companion. Trouble's my middle name."

"Is that so?" Karin gasped exaggeratedly. Her eyes narrowed deviously. "Well then I guess I'm luck." The man gawked at the look Karin was giving him, which Karin took as a good sign. Honestly, it was way too easy to ensnare a man. She should do this professionally.

"Care for a drink dollface?" he offered. Karin passed him her cup and the shots began. It wasn't until they were on their fourth sho that Karin looked away as he filled her cup, and he took that opportunity to pour a few drops of a clear liquid from a vial in his sleeve into her sake. Because of the angle they were at, Hitsugaya and Renji's view was obscured by his back, so they missed it too.

"Hey dollface," he drawled a few minutes later, when Karin's cheeks were sufficiently red. "You wanna get out of here?"

Karin wasn't sure why the sake was affecting her more tonight than it usually did at this quantity, but as it was she was feeling a bit woozy and she needed to have her wits about her to take this guy down, so she was incredibly grateful for the suggestion to quit drinking and get on with things. Putting on the most seductive face she could muster, she said,

"My room's just upstairs." The man's face broke into an enormous grin.

"Lead the way dollface," he replied, excitement growing at the thought of conquest. Karin caught Hitsugaya's eye as they left the pub. He felt that something was off about her, but couldn't quite be sure from such a distance. She was walking just fine and didn't seem to be disoriented. Before he had a chance to think it through, Renji was beckoning him to leave so they could stand guard outside their room. Hitsugaya followed anxiously.

ooooooooooooooooooooo

Walking to her room was much more difficult than it should have been. Karin began to get worried about her condition, but she couldn't back out now. Now that they had left the pub she had to be fully committed to this. Besides, Hitsugaya and Renji would help her out if anything went seriously wrong. For now, she would trust in her strength and do her best to pull through.

She led the target into the room and eyed her swords, which were strategically left against the wall, directly adjacent to the futon. She began to walk towards them as surreptitiously as she could, but before she could reach them, she collapsed into a weak heap. The target laughed haughtily.

"Now this certainly looks like fun, doesn't it dollface?" For the first time in Karin's life, she felt a rush of panic creep through her body. She couldn't see the man as she had her back to him, but she could hear his footsteps as he approached her with all the anticipation of a tiger preparing to pounce. She tried in vain to move her legs, but they were frozen stiff. Her arms were similarly limp and immobile. Karin reasoned that he must have slipped her a paralytic, and cursed herself for being so careless. His shaky fingers closed slowly but tightly around her shoulder, and he turned her over, laying her on her back. Karin felt overwhelmingly pathetic and vulnerable. She could barely even move her lips to speak or she would have swallowed her pride and cried out to the men she knew were waiting just beyond the door. She felt utterly foolish for thinking she could handle this herself and for giving Hitsugaya and Renji strict orders not to enter until she told them. That being said, there was no way she could have possibly predicted _this_.

Her train of thought was quickly derailed as the man swung his leg over her waist and straddled her completely. She lay on the floor, helpless as a rag doll as he leaned forward, placed his face in the crook of her neck, and breathed deeply.

"Sorry for bein' like this dollface," he crooned, "but see, I just find women are _so_ much more irresistible when they're helpless. It makes me feel alive!" His eyes took on a look of utter insanity and Karin screamed in her head for _anything_ that might distract him or allow her movement in even one muscle group. Just a pinky finger would be enough! She could poke his eye out or something.

Nothing came. The man continued to inhale her scent as he slipped a greedy hand into her collar…

ooooooooooooooooooo

"Isn't she taking too long?" Hitsugaya asked impatiently. He was antsy and agitated. He _hated_ this situation. Karin had been alone in the room with that man for a whole five minutes and they hadn't heard a peep out of her.

"Maybe she's just getting him drunker or something," Renji replied with a shrug. "Do you doubt her skills."

"Of course not! I just find it hard to believe that she would take so long. Maybe we should go in there." Hitsugaya reached out his hand to open the door, but Renji roughly grabbed his wrist, forcing him to stop.

"If you barge in and expose her without warning, it may backfire on you and Karin could get hurt. Just be patient."

"I'm quickly running out of patience Abarai," Hitsugaya scowled. He gave the silent door a look of death. "That's it, I'm…"

"MOVE!" cried a voice behind them, and Hanataro appeared out of nowhere, barreling down the hallway at breakneck speed. He whizzed past them and yanked the door open, but froze momentarily as they took in the site that greeted them. Karin was sprawled on the floor, completely lifeless except for her eyes, which were screaming bloody murder. The target lay on top of her, his face dangerously close to hers, one hand hidden in the folds of her kimono. Caught in a blinding rage by this spectacle, all three men moved at once.

"Get _off_ of my fiance!" Hitsugaya howled, unsheathing his sword like a bolt of lightning. Renji also drew his sword, but Hanataro got there first. The target had just enough time to yank his head out of Karin's hair and gape at them before he melted, his neck and back littered with needles. Hanataro raced forward to pull the lifeless lump off of Karin.

"Ojosama!" he gasped, near tears. "Ojosama, are you alright?" Karin didn't reply. She couldn't, but Hanataro was a poison expert and, after an extremely brief examination, ruffled through his bag and extracted an antidote for Karin's paralysis.

"Thanks Nezumi-chan," Karin said gratefully, sitting up and rubbing her arms with trembling hands. "What did that bastard do to me?"

"He gave you a simple paralytic," Hanataro replied. "Nothing too damaging, but powerful enough to knock out motor function for a few hours. Are you alight?" Karin nodded.

"I'm fine thanks to you." She shot the unconscious target a sickening look. "What'd you hit him with? That's not what you normally use is it?" Hanataro's eyes narrowed.

"It is a sleeping draught, but it'll sting something fierce when he wakes up. Serves him right."

"Oi, chibi-chan, how the heck did you know to do that?" Renji asked, still absorbing what had just happened. "It's as if you knew."

"You have Orihime-san to thank for that," Hanataro answered. "She finally woke up and asked where everyone went. When I told her about the bounty hunting and showed her a picture of the target, she said she knew him. Mizuki spent a lot of money on charlatan doctors a while back trying to find a medicine for Orihime-san's brother. This man apparently sold her something really toxic, but she didn't use it after she was warned by several young women that the man was a con-artist who liked to paralyze people in order to rob them or take advantage of them. I figured if he tried something like that on ojosama, she may really be in trouble."

"Well, you were dead right Nezumi-chan," Karin concurred. "Thanks. I owe you one." She smiled warmly at him, then rounded on Renji and Hitsugaya.

"And what the heck took you two so long?" she yelled. "Honestly, did you really think it would take me that long to knock someone unconscious?"

"Yeah, my bad," Renji admitted sheepishly. "Toushiro wanted to help but I thought you'd be fine on your own. Right Toushiro?" It was then that they all saw the state Hitsugaya was in. No one had noticed in all the commotion, but he had turned white as a sheet, and he was staring at his drawn sword like it was a venomous snake that had clamped down on his arm and wouldn't let go. The look on his face was a mixture of horror, disgust, and fear. Karin was the first to realize what was wrong.

"Toushiro!" she gasped. "You unsealed your sword."

**Sorry to leave it on that because I probably won't be able to post for a few weeks, but that's just how it is. The plot finally thickens...**


	26. When It Rains, It Pours

**I'm home! Finally! And I have excellent news! I'm going to be posting regularly from now on, like, every Monday or so. Thank you all for being so patient with me while I traveled and here's an extra long chapter to make up for all the delays. :)**

Hitsugaya felt his mouth go dry. The hand holding his unsheathed sword began to quiver.

"What…what did I…?" he stuttered, appalled at the situation he was in. He had been so overwrought with fury at seeing another man on top of Karin that he had drawn his sword without thinking.

"How could I forget?" he berated himself. "How could_ anything_ have made me forget?" His self loathing was reaching a maximum and he felt an intense wave of nausea creep up into his throat.

"Hey, relax Toushiro," Renji said, cuffing him playfully on the shoulder. "You were just protecting the love of your life. There's gotta be a clause about that somewhere in your personal contract with that seal." Hitsugaya felt like Renji had just slugged him in the gut.

"THERE ISN'T!" he screamed, shaking violently now. "There is _no_ excuse for me to draw my sword for _any reason_! Even if it _is _to protect Karin. I didn't _need_ to draw it! I could have protected her without it! But why?" He directed the last question at himself, and at his hand which was still gripping the sword so hard his fingers were beginning to go numb. "Why did I do this?"

"It's ok Toushiro," Karin said in a calming voice. She approached him and placed a firm hand on each shoulder, forcing him to look directly at her. "All you did was draw it. You had good reason to, but besides that, you didn't do anything. You didn't hurt anyone. No one has touched your blade. So just sheath it, reseal it, and pretend that this never happened. Ok?" She gave him a loving smile, but it didn't reach him.

"You don't understand," he muttered. "You can _never _understand." Karin's smile disappeared and was replaced with rage.

"Yeah, you're right," she replied darkly. "I don't understand. Because you won't tell me. What exactly are you hiding Toushiro? What did you do that was so horrible that you can't trust me enough to tell me about it?" Hitsugaya felt nauseous all over again. He turned his face away from Karin's, refusing to make eye contact.

"That's none of your business," he grumbled.

SMACK! Hitsugaya didn't even seem to register that Karin had just slapped him. His mind and body were partially frozen as it was. But her words cut into him like knives.

"It's none of my business?" she cried, her cheeks burning with anger. "It's none of _my_ business? That's right, who am I? I'm only your fiancé! I've only promised to spend the rest of my life with you, but no, it's none of _my_ business that you have some deep dark secret that you keep dangling in front of me like a carrot on a string. Do you really think this is all ok? Do you really think I'm just going to humbly marry a man who keeps such crazy secrets from me? If you're so closed lipped about this, then how do I know that you won't keep more secrets from me? How do I know I can trust you?" The room was silent except for the sound of Karin's heavy breathing. No one dared move. Hitsugaya paused before he spoke. His mouth had gone completely dry.

"If you don't think you can trust me, maybe you shouldn't be marrying me," he said, his voice steadier than his mind felt.

Hitsugaya hadn't hit her, but it sure felt like he had. Karin had never felt more betrayed.

"Oh, so that's how it is huh? Well then, maybe I won't marry you. It was fun while it lasted." She stormed past him and the gaping spectators, but paused briefly at the door. "Oh," she added, without looking back at him, "you owe me 250 rho."

ooooooooooooooooooo

Karin didn't feel like moving when she woke up the next morning. Her joints were still stiff from the paralytic, but her heart ached worse than her muscles. Part of her felt guilty for breaking it off with Hitsugaya over something like that, but the other part knew that she had made the right choice. She loved him, but if he wasn't willing to be honest with her when it mattered, then she didn't know if she could really marry him. The thought tortured her, but her resolve was firm. Until he was willing to open up to her and tell her about his past, the engagement would remain dissolved.

There was a knock on her door and Karin held her breath.

"Who is it?"

"Renji. Can I come in?" Karin sighed, but she wasn't sure if it was from relief or disappointment that it wasn't Hitsugaya.

"Yeah, sure." Renji slid the door open and came over to her.

"Here," he said, tossing her a small bag. "Your share of the bounty. We turned the rat in last night after you left." Karin nodded and took the bag, not even bothering to count what was in it. No amount of money could replace what last night had cost her.

"Orihime-chan is feeling a lot better today," Renji told her. "Chibi-chan says she should be fine to travel once we get a decent meal in her. And…" he paused, scratching the back of his neck uncomfortably, "Toushiro says he's gonna come with us. Says he still owes it to you to play the fiancé role in front of your dad."

"Does he now?" Karin said bitterly. "Well, I did pay him for that. It's the least he can do."

"He does love you, you know. He just…"

"Don't defend him!" Karin interrupted. "Could you marry someone you couldn't trust? Don't tell me you're on his side!"

"I'm not," Renji assured her. "I just think you could be a bit less harsh on him. Last night was really trying for him, and I don't think he was thinking properly, that's all." Karin turned away from him. He was right and she knew it, but she didn't want to admit it. "Anyway, we're all heading to the pub to eat breakfast. You can join us or not, but we're leaving right afterwards, so pack up." Karin nodded and Renji left her alone.

ooooooooooooooooooo

The ride out of town was excessively awkward. No one really spoke about anything more than directions and Karin pointedly avoided looking at Hitsugaya. He however was lost in his own world, and kept staring warily at his sword as if it had just killed his best friend of its own volition and he was worried it might wake up and do the same to him. The heavy mood lasted for the better part of a week. Snow began to melt as they left the mountains, and warmer breezes blew past them, providing a welcome respite from the stinging chill of higher altitudes. Mud splattered the wagon and the horse's hooves as spring began to dawn around them.

"Hey, I've got some good news," Renji said one morning over a breakfast of hastily prepared rice porridge. "The elevens' main haunt is only a few hours from here. Let's go check up on them huh? I'd be fun right?" Renji was clearly trying to brighten the mood, but his attempts were only mildly successful. However, stopping to see old friends seemed like a wonderful distraction, so they climbed back into the wagon and headed out.

They arrived just before lunch. Renji navigated them down a narrow alley lined with moderately sized, but poorly kept houses.

"This is the place," he announced, pounding on the door.

"Who the hell…" came Ikkaku's voice, but as he slid the door open, he stopped mid-sentence.

"Renji! Dude, I thought you'd _never _get here! Hey guys," he called to the house. "We've got company! Come on in! Man, but that wagon of yours is damn slow. We've been back for ages. When are ya' gonna' ditch it and get yourself a proper horse?" Renji laughed.

"You know I need that thing to carry my goods." Ikkaku waved him off.

"Yeah yeah, whatever honest worker. Oh, by the way, Kira's woman is here, ya' gotta meet her. But don't make this public yeah? Her brother's still not so keen on Kira." Ikkaku led them inside but, while there was more space than there had been in their place before, the state of things was pretty much the same. Discarded clothing and weapons littered the floor and they had to navigate carefully to avoid impaling themselves on a rogue blade. The smell of mildew was pervasive and Orihime pinched her nose. The rest were incredibly envious of her right to do so.

"Dude, it stinks like a sewer in here," Renji said, unabashed. Ikkaku chuckled.

"Yeah, we're not the best housekeepers. Yumichka does his best, but he's fighting a losing battle there. Come on, everyone's in here." He slid open the door revealing an incredibly crowded room.

"Look who's here!" Ikkaku announced, and suddenly they were beset upon by every member of the elevens as they hugged, hit, and swore at each other in greeting. There was a great deal of commotion over Orihime, and she was lifted, laughing and delighted, into the air several times before she was spirited away by Yachiru who wanted to show her her bug collection. Matsumoto tried to catch Hitsugaya's eye, but he avoided her gaze, too ashamed by what had occurred to look at her properly. It was she whom he had betrayed the most when he drew his sword and he couldn't yet bring himself to face her properly.

"Oh you simply must meet Kira's beloved," Yumichka declared. "Hinamori-chan, these are dear friends of ours." The sea of people split and the party noticed for the first time that there was a new face among the throng. An adorable young woman with jet black hair swept up into a tight bun sat at the table with a look of surprise and excitement on her playful features. She was quite short and delicate, as if a strong wind would blow her over. Her seductive eyelashes seemed the type to innocently tease men inadvertently. She looked up at them and gave them a warm smile.

"Nice to meet you," she greeted pleasantly. "I'm Hinamori Momo…" Her voice trailed off as her gaze locked on Hitsugaya and her genial smile melted into her face. "Sh…Shiro-chan?" she questioned, looking as though she had just seen a ghost. Hitsugaya had a similar expression on his face. "Shiro-chan right? It's you! It's really you!" She jumped up and dashed towards him, arms outstretched for an enormous bear hug. "I can't believe you're here…"

"Don't touch me!" Hitsugaya snapped, and Hinamori stopped in her tracks.

"Shiro-chan?" she said pathetically, her face lined with hurt. Hitsugaya glared at her.

"What, did you think I'd be _happy_ to see you or something? Get off your high horse! Who do you think you are, you traitor?" Hinamori's eyes filled with tears.

"Shiro-chan," she gasped. Hitsugaya looked away from her coldly. He never could stomach watching her cry.

"Oh sure, _now_ you cry," he said venomously. "You didn't cry then but you cry now. Only when it's convenient for you, is that it?"

"Shiro-chan, it's not like that!" Hinamori sobbed, her tears running freely now.

"Oh really?" Hitsugaya barked. "Then what _is_ it like? You have no idea, _no idea_ what happened to me after that!"

"Shiro-chan, it's not like we wanted to! Otousan loved you, he just panicked and…"

"How _dare_ you mention that man!" Hitsugaya screamed at the top of his lungs. "How dare you bring him up in front of me! Did he drink himself to sleep every night? Did he spill innocent blood for no reason at all? Did he poison women and children? Was he beaten and tortured ruthlessly? Because if not, then I never want to hear his name again. And if you have any decency left at all, you'll leave me alone." Hinamori had gone stone faced.

"Otousan's dead, Shiro. He killed himself. About a month after you left. He felt so guilty that he just couldn't live with himself anymore. Kaasan held on for about a year, but then she died too. Grief. The fields were all destroyed and it was impossible to get anything to grow. Niisan and I did everything we could, but there was never enough food. You know niisan can only work so hard. He almost died himself more than once. The twins, well, they didn't make it either. They were too young and there wasn't enough to eat. Maybe we would all have been better off if we'd have died that day." The silence that followed was so thick you could cut it with a knife. The room was gaping at the pair, too stunned to say anything. Finally, Karin mustered up her courage.

"Um, Toushiro," she broke in bravely. "Who is she?" Hitsugaya lowered his gaze to the floor.

"My sister," he answered quietly.

"Your sister? I thought you had no family!" exclaimed Karin and Matsumoto in unison. Every eye in the room turned to Matsumoto. She quickly clamped a hand over her mouth, but the damage was done. Hitsugaya scowled.

"Tell them whatever you want," he spat. "I don't care anymore." He turned on his heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Kira came over to Hinamori and placed a comforting arm around her as Karin started on Matsumoto.

"You know him?" she asked, dumbfounded. "Why didn't you say anything before?"

"I'm so sorry," Matsumoto apologized, grief and worry etched deeply into her face. "He begged me not to. He's very ashamed of his past and since I was a part of it, he wanted to keep the fact that we knew each other a secret. I never meant to hide it from you."

"What past?" Karin asked in exasperation. "What happened? What exactly is he so ashamed of?" Matsumoto looked at Karin with pity.

"I think you need to ask him that question. I don't think it's my place to tell you and frankly, I only know part of the story. Besides, I know he'd rather you hear it from him. I think he'll tell you now." Karin didn't need to hear another word. She bolted out of the room as fast as her legs would carry her. She knew instinctively that he wasn't in the house, so she ran out into the street.

"Toushiro!" she shouted. "Where the heck are you?"

"I knew you'd come looking for me." Hitsugaya was leaning against the wall of the house, arms crossed defensively, an unreadable look on his face. Other than the storm raging in his emerald eyes, there was no other indication that he had just endured severe emotional turmoil. "You want to know about my past." It wasn't a question. "I guess you have a right to know. It's not like I can make things worse between us." Karin didn't reply, but she allowed Hitsugaya to lead her down the street. They found a quaint little tea shop and asked for a private room. A waitress brought them tea and left them alone. Hitsugaya rocked his cup back and forth, contemplating how best to begin.

"I guess the first thing you should know about me," he said at last, "is that my name is not Hitsugaya Toushiro. Hitsugaya Toushiro was a character in the book I was reading when we met. Nothing more. My birth name is Hinamori Shiro. I cast that name off ages ago and have assumed dozens of others since then." Hitsugaya paused and stared unseeingly at the cup in his hands. This was not going to be an easy story to tell, but with the appearance of his sister in the midst of their fight, he knew it was time to come clean. So Hitsugaya took a deep breath and began his story.

**It finally happened! I know I've been building up to this for ages so I hope you're as excited as I am that I'm finally here. I won't make you wait as long for the next chapter this time, I promise!**


	27. 21 Ounces: Betrayal

**Hey all. Yeah, I want to apologize about the name "Hinamori Shiro." I know it's not wonderful, but it was the best name that fits in my plot. I call him "Shiro" for this part of the story, which I think is close enough to Toushiro that it still feels like him. I hope that doesn't bother you too much.**

**WARNING, PLEASE READ: The following chapters, entitled "21 Ounces" contain scenes of graphic violence and torture. I tried to keep them consistent with a "T" rating, but if you feel uncomfortable with anything I present here please let me know and I will change it.**

There was nothing particularly remarkable about the village of Rukongai. The population of three hundred was mainly simple rice farmers, spending their days toiling the flooded earth under the intense sun. During the winter months, when the fields were bare and a glistening blanket of snow covered the village, the girls fashioned dolls from dried rice husks and grass, while the boys played around with wooden swords, pretending they were noble samurai, roaming the wide world in an eternal quest for justice. Springtime was the best. Every year, as the thick winter snow began to melt, the village would have a celebration in honor of the new year, which almost always culminated in a wedding. Life was hard, but for the most part, fulfilling. There was always enough to eat and the people were content.

The Hinamori family was not a particularly special family. They lived in a small, two room rice paper home and farmed rice just like everyone else. With five children crammed into that small space, they had more than their fair share of sibling bickering, but they loved each other and their village and were very pleased with their lives. The most remarkable thing, if it can even be called remarkable, about the Hinamori family was that they actually owned a real sword. The children had found it once when playing in the woods just beyond the outskirts of the village. It was old and rusty, and the blade wasn't attached to the hilt as well as it should have been, but the children were immensely proud of it nevertheless and displayed it in the corner of their home in a place of prominence.

It was a scalding summer day. There was nothing about this day that marked it as different from the day before it or the day before that. The middle Hinamori child, Shiro, so named because of his unusual shock of white hair, wiped the sweat from his brow. He stood up from his crouched position, knee deep in a flooded rice field, and glanced up at the blazing sun. It had just about reached its zenith and that, coupled with the protesting of his stomach, told him that it was nearly lunch time.

"Taking a break Shiro?" Shiro turned to his older brother Jyuushiro. Tall and lanky and stubborn as an ox, Jyuushiro suffered from an incurable lung disease that wore him out quickly and therefore prevented him from straining himself too hard. But a deep seated love of his family and his desire to protect his four younger siblings drove him to work himself to his limit every day. He was a role model in the community and cherished by those around him. Frankly, Shiro found him downright annoying. His work ethic was unfathomable for someone so ill, and Shiro found himself working extra hard to try to lessen his brother's load. But he was a cornerstone of the family, and Shiro didn't know what he would do without him.

"Just checking the time," Shiro replied. "Think it's about lunchtime?"

"Yeah probably. Get the twins for me will you? I'll go help kaasan and Momo." Hitsugaya nodded as Jyuushiro headed towards the house, clutching his chest surreptitiously as he went.

"Idiot," Shiro thought to himself. "Don't work yourself so hard. We need you." Shiro waded through the field, taking care not to trample the precious paddies, and headed over to a pair of children, not more than five years old, with identical round faces and eyes that glittered like pure obsidian. Akari and Hikari were, as their names suggested, the light of the family. Too young to work in the paddies, they contributed by weaving baskets, catching rats, and being a constant source of joy. Shiro was too proud to admit it, but he loved the twins fiercely. He was only three years older than them, but his desire to protect them imbued every fiber of his being. He took tremendous pride in being their older brother, and was thrilled that they seemed to utterly adore him in return. They glanced up as he approached.

"Shiro-niichan!" they cried with delight, and Shiro couldn't help but smile. They just had that effect on him.

"Hey girls. You hungry?"

"Yes!" they sang in unison. Shiro held his hands out and they each grabbed one of them, swinging off him playfully as he led them to the house.

"We're home," they announced, adjusting their eyes to the dimly lit interior after the blinding brightness of the fields.

"Welcome home!" chirruped a voice from the kitchen. "Lunch is almost ready."

"Want any help Momo-nee?" Shiro offered, coming up behind his sister.

"Nope, I'm alright. Thanks Shiro-chan." Momo flashed him a warm smile and Shiro felt all his weariness evaporate. As much as he loved the twins and respected Jyuushiro, his older sister Momo was his absolute favorite sibling. Kindhearted and gentle, loyal and caring, Momo was a gem among gems. Her stunning features weren't lost on the other villagers either, and more than one man had already attempted to secure her betrothal to his son for when she came of age.

They heard a crash behind them and sighed.

"Otousan, what'd you break this time?" Momo asked without even glancing at the wreckage. Hinamori Shingo was the village's biggest klutz. It was common knowledge that he wasn't to be trusted with anything fragile as it would inevitably end up scattered on the floor in a thousand pieces.

"Nothing Momo, don't you worry, I just tripped." Momo chuckled.

"Anata, you have to be more careful." A beautiful woman with waist length tresses entered the house, Jyuushiro right behind her.

"Ah, sorry Mogami, I shouldn't make you worry so much." She smiled sweetly at her husband.

"I think the children worry more than me actually."

"Not really," Shiro said with a shrug, and Momo gave him a reprimanding look.

"What?" he defended. "If I panicked every time otousan fell down I'd never relax."

"That's still not very nice Shiro," his mother reproached gently.

"Sorry," he mumbled and everyone laughed. In reality, Shiro hero worshiped his father. He was clumsy and foolish and a bit cowardly at times, but was an outstanding human being who strove to teach his children the value of love and community, and supporting each other no matter what. All his children idolized him, and Shiro was no exception.

The family settled down for lunch, always a loud affair with much teasing and laughing, then headed back out to till the fields while there was still daylight. An ordinary day. Nothing strange. Nothing special. Nothing to indicated that the Hinamori family's life was about to change permanently.

oooooooooooooooo

They heard the first scream at twilight. The family was gathered closely together, Mogami regaling them with a fairy tale when the harsh cry ripped through the still night. Before they could register what had happened, they heard another. And another. A flickering light burst into life, visible through the thin rice paper wall of the house, and even without a window, they could tell that the source was a burning home.

"Fire!" Jyuushiro cried. "We have to go help!" Shiro and Shingo nodded their agreement, but before they could even rise to their feet, another house went up in flames. The screams doubled, and they could hear scared footsteps scurrying past their door.

"What's going on?" Shingo wondered aloud, his eyes narrowing. "This doesn't seem like a normal fire." Even as he said the words, a third house went up in flames.

Suddenly, the front door burst open and a throng of scruffy, well armed men poured inside. Their swords dripped with fresh blood and they had a sickening gleam in their eyes, as if they were having the time of their lives. They quickly surveyed the petrified family huddled together and the sparsely decorated room.

"Che, another pauper family," one of the men scoffed. "There ain't gonna be much loot from tonight."

"Might as well have some fun then," another replied. "I got dibs on the pretty one." At Shiro's side, Momo clutched his arm in a death grip and began shivering violently.

"Say's who? You passing up the opportunity to pop the heads off a few youngsters? That's your specialty ain't it?"

"Yeah yeah, blood's way more fun. Let's paint the pauper's walls red!" As the men closed in on the family raising their blood soaked swords high, Mogami fainted. The twins screamed, clutching on to one another for dear life and Jyuushiro was overcome with an ill-timed stress induced coughing fit. Momo was rooted to the spot, too afraid to do anything more than shake and Shingo seemed to have short circuited. Shiro was desperate. He cast around for anything, _anything_, that he might use to protect his family, and his eyes fell on the old rusted sword. Without thinking, he darted out of his family's embrace, yanked the sword from its resting place and launched himself between the murderers and his family, holding the trembling sword in front of him in a ready position. The men paused.

"Oh, what do we have here?" one of them mused. "A brave lil' soul ain't he? Isn't that cute?" The men laughed, a cruel, discordant laugh that cut into Shiro's flesh. But his resolve remained firm and he didn't budge an inch. The men began eyeing Shiro greedily, as if he was a puppet created for their entertainment.

"Wish more kids were like him," one of them drawled, his eyes glowing maniacally. "They're way more fun to kill that way." Shiro felt his palms begin to sweat. His heart was hammering in his throat, but the thought of his family, defenseless and petrified behind him forced him to hold his ground. He would die to protect them. His grip on the sword tightened as the men began to close in on him.

"You…you can have him!" stuttered a voice behind him, and it took Shiro a very long moment to register that the voice was his father's. "If…if you promise to leave the rest of my family alone, you can take him." Shiro was too stunned to speak. Apparently, so were his siblings, as no one protested this outrageous suggestion. The men laughed.

"Check this out, a trade! As if you're in any position to make a deal with us."

"But he's got a point. Kid's got gut, ya' gotta give him that. Might be useful."

"We lost a couple last month, it wouldn't hurt to fill in the ranks a bit."

"Hey, didn't Aizen-sama say he was looking for a volunteer to be Mayuri's assistant?"

"Yeah, I think he was saying something about that recently. Kami knows I don't wanna' do it."

"So let's sic him on a new kid. Then none of us'll have to." They studied Shiro like a piece of meat, but his brain was broken. Did his father really…? No, he couldn't have. His father loved him. Surely he would never suggest something like that right? And his siblings! Jyuushiro and Momo and the twins would never stand for a suggestion like that. Right? They would protest, they would do something, anything! But the family behind him remained silent.

"Ok kid, let's get outta' here. We'll spare your family, so be damn grateful, you hear!" Shiro didn't know what he had to be grateful about. He had no idea what was going on. Was there a thick hand on his shoulder? Were his feet moving? Yes, they probably were, but where they were taking him was behind his current level of comprehension. The flames and screams seemed distant to him now. All he could feel was the pounding of blood in his ears and the stake pressing deeper and deeper into his heart. It therefore didn't really faze him when he was thrown roughly to the ground and doused with icy water. He barely heard the man say, "Here Gin, new recruit, he's all yours," let alone understand the words. He had no idea that his shirt was ripped open and the bolts of lightning that jolted across his back with each lash of the whip seemed like nothing compared to the battle that was raging in his heart and his brain. At some point he assumed he passed out, but he couldn't be sure because he couldn't remember.

**This is just the beginning. This part of the story will be several chapters long, and by the end all your questions will be answered.**


	28. 21 Ounces: The Geisha and the Devil

**I don't know if people realized it, but Jyuushiro, Toushiro's older brother, is supposed to be Ukitake Jyuushiro, 13****th**** squad captain. I don't think I wrote him very well, but there you go. Just thought I'd mention it :P I thought about making the twins Kiyone and Sentaro, but they bicker so much and that wasn't the image I wanted of his siblings, so they ended up being OCs. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!  
**

Shiro awoke, bolted upright, and immediately cried out. His back felt like it was on fire.

"What are you doing? Lie back down. You can't move so suddenly with wounds like that!" Shiro responded obediently, in too much pain to do much of anything else. He turned his head to look at the speaker, and saw that she was a spectacular beauty, with elegant, graceful features, full lips, and an incredibly gentle smile that contrasted horribly with the pained look in her crystal blue eyes. She was dressed in a flattering jade green kimono that faded into yellow the closer it got to the floor and her strawberry blond hair was pulled back in a complicated swirl of braids and jewel encrusted hair pins. She had a bowl beside her filled with a dark red liquid. As she dipped a cloth in the bowl and wrung it out, Shiro realized with horror that the red color was caused by his own blood, diluted by whatever concoction had been in the bowl originally. He winced as she placed the towel over his raw back.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I know the medicine stings a bit, but you have to deal with it. It will help it heal better." Shiro allowed her to continue to wash his wounds and it soothed his pain ever so slightly. As she began to wrap clean cloth bandages around him, he found that he felt strong enough to speak.

"Who are you?"

"A friend," the woman stated sincerely. "Friends are difficult to come by in this world of violence and thievery, and a friend you can trust is worth its weight in gold. You may not believe me right away, and I don't blame you, but never forget that I am, and always will be, your friend."

"What's that supposed to mean? Who are you? Where am I?" The woman sighed sadly and she gave him a look of pure pity.

"This is the Las Noches Tea House. But that's just its official title. The reason you are here is because it is the unofficial headquarters of the Shinigami. They are a band of cutthroat thieves who take immense pleasure in raiding unarmed villages to burn, pillage, and murder simply for their own amusement. I assume you're familiar with them." An unwelcome memory of screams and fire and betrayal flooded Shiro's system, and he brutally fought to ignore it. He nodded.

"My name is Matsumoto Rangiku," the woman continued. "I'm the head geisha of Los Noches and the Shinigami's leader, Aizen-sama is my danna. It is therefore my fate to play mistress and host to the Shinigami. I care for wounds and provide shelter, food, and entertainment. New members join fairly frequently, but it's been a long time since they've brought a child."

"It's not like I had a choice in the matter," Shiro grumbled. No matter how much he tried to suppress his memories of the previous evening, now that he was awake and alert, they came rushing back to him, and he felt like he was being whipped all over again. He had had a vague hope that it had all been a horrific nightmare, but the pain in his back was too overwhelming to be imagined. His father had betrayed him. Sold him to this pack of murderers without a second thought or a single hesitation. And his siblings had agreed. There hadn't been an ounce of protest from any of them at their father's suggestion. They were just as guilty. An ache opened up in his chest, a wound so painful he practically forgot about his tattered back. He was alone. Utterly and totally alone. Abandoned by those he had loved and respected and trusted. His family had meant everything to him. Well he would never make _that_ mistake again. To hell with love. To hell with people. People couldn't be trusted.

"What's your name?" Matsumoto's voice broke into his thoughts. He opened his mouth to answer, but changed his mind before the words were out.

"I don't have one," was his reply. Matsumoto giggled, but she wasn't making fun of him. It was pleasant and genial, just like Momo's had been. Shiro bit his tongue to keep from crying.

"Everyone has a name," Matsumoto said tenderly. Shiro shook his head.

"I don't. I'm alone. People with no home and no family don't need names." Matsumoto gave him a terse look.

"You have me," she said sincerely, looking him directly in the eye. "I can be your family now."

"Like I can trust a woman who harbors idiots like the Shinigami." Matsumoto looked like he had just punched her, but she didn't reply. Just then, a door behind them slid open. A man with silver hair, razor sharp chin, and eyes that would be more fitting on a boa constrictor than a human appeared.

"Oiya, Rangiku, can our new toy walk yet?"

"You shouldn't have been so hard on him Gin," Matsumoto reprimanded softly. "He's only a child."

"All the more reason. Kid's have a nasty habit of runnin' away if they're not disciplined properly. Gotta put 'em in their place right from the start. Anyway, he better be able ta' walk, 'cause Aizen-sama's callin' for 'em."

"He's in no condition to…"

"I'm fine," Shiro cut in, pulling himself upright and getting to his feet, trying with everything he had not to wince at his burning and throbbing back. Matsumoto looked like she wanted to protest, but she held her tongue. Gin's mouth broke into a smarmy smile so wide it seemed to split his face clean in half.

"Looks like they picked us a good one this time." He beckoned for Shiro to follow, which he did silently, leaving Matsumoto behind. Gin led him down a grand hallway lined with detailed paintings of mountain landscapes and flowerpots containing fresh, fragrant flowers. To the uninformed eye, it looked like any standard tea house, and although Shiro had never been in one before, he had heard stories from travelers who wandered into their village from time to time. The memory made him think once again of his family, and he forcefully repressed the image of their faces which rose unbidden to his mind.

"Before ya' go in there, ya' gotta' know somethin'," Gin said. "Aizen-sama may seem like a nice enough guy, and he sure as hell is to them who are loyal to 'em, but one wrong move and that beating I gave ya' last night is gonna seem like a pleasant sponge bath. So don't you go forgettin' your place." They stopped in front of a door. The sound of men laughing and sake glasses clinking could be heard through the thin shoji. Gin slid the door open to reveal a dozen or so men covered in varying degrees of blood and filth. The stench of sweat, blood, and cheap sake attacked Shiro's nose, but he held his head up high and did his best to control his gag reflex.

The noise died down as they entered and Gin roughly shoved Shiro into the room, completely disregarding his injuries. Every eye in the room bore down on him, but Shiro stood firm. He would not give these men the satisfaction of appearing weak.

"Interesting find," one man noted, and Shiro knew immediately that he was this "Aizen-sama," everyone kept talking about. Unlike the rest of the men, he didn't have a single drop of blood on his clothes, which were of a finer quality and better state of repair than everyone else's. Appearance aside, there was something astounding about the man. He gave off an aura of authority and power that would have been downright awesome if it wasn't tainted with bloodlust. He considered Shiro with the care one would give a newly forged sword.

"Are you afraid?" Aizen asked in a voice that was entirely too friendly for the situation. Shiro forced his shoulders to remain solid.

"No." Aizen's smile widened.

"Do you have a name?"

"I do not," Shiro replied as confidently as he could. "I have no name, no family, and no home." Aizen seemed incredibly pleased with this answer.

"Interesting. I like your attitude. Almost like a little-taicho." The rest of the men laughed. Aizen let them finish before continuing.

"Well then, taicho-chan, perhaps I can give you what you lack. You see, we the Shinigami are somewhat of a family, and we could use a strong, brave man like yourself to join us. Do you think you could do us that honor?" Shiro was under no delusions that this man was the most twisted, horrific, cruel human being he had ever had the misfortune of laying eyes upon. He knew that by joining the Shinigami, he would be forced to do unspeakable things. That the pain in his back at the moment would be nothing compared to the beatings he was likely to incur at the hands of these savages. But he had lost his faith in humanity. Humans were scum who couldn't be trusted. Out there there were more fathers willing to give away their sons. Out there were more brothers who weren't strong enough to protest watching their own sibling become a bargaining chip. Out there were more sisters who thought that betraying a loved one was acceptable if it would save their own hide. He felt no pity for those people. He didn't care what he was forced to do or what would be forced upon him. He would accept it all. The world was garbage anyway. Squaring his shoulders, he looked Aizen dead in the eye and said, without wavering,

"I will join you."

**Just so you know, a "danna" (which means master) was like a geisha's sponsor. He would often provide money and gifts in exchange for "favors" from her. Go watch **_**Memoirs of a Geisha**_** if you haven't seen it. It explains it better than I can in one sentence.**


	29. 21 Ounces: Becoming a Shinigami

**I don't really have anything to say this week. Enjoy the chapter :)**

And so, Shiro's indoctrination into the Shinigami began. Since he refused to give his name, the men simply called him taicho. The nickname had stuck after Aizen used it on the first night. Mainly they were poking fun at him by using such a powerful name for such a small, insignificant member of the group, but Shiro didn't really mind. It was as good a name as any, and he didn't really expect anything less than ruthless teasing from the other members. He was placed under the care of Mayuri, a sadistic, slimy chemist who instructed Shiro in the art of poison production.

"Anything can be turned into a weapon," Mayuri explained on the first day. "You can kill a man with water, rice, or even his own arm. But death by a properly brewed poison is so much more elegant. A true masterpiece. Much better than those swords everyone brandishes around." At Mayuri's direction, Shiro risked life and limb to procure thousands of herbs and other substances which he then baked, boiled, ground, juiced, and distilled in countless combinations. Mayuri had a seemingly infinite knowledge of herbs, minerals, and animal products, how they could be mixed properly to create the ideal murder weapon, and the effects they had on the poisoned party. At Aizen's insistence, he passed on everything he knew to Shiro. Shiro was forced to memorize anything Mayuri said instantly, and was dealt with harshly when he couldn't recall something at a second's notice. Mayuri had myriad deadly poisons at his disposal, but he also had plenty which simply maimed, burned, or caused unbelievable pain, but that weren't toxic enough to kill, and one of Mayuri's favorite punishments for memory lapse was to slice open Shiro's skin and rub one in the open wound. Mayuri also liked to experiment with the creation of new poisons, and Shiro often found that his blood was required for the tests.

In addition to his daily brain rape by Mayuri, Aizen also had him spend several hours each day with Gin, whose job it was to teach him to handle a sword since Shiro was the only member of the Shinigami who couldn't already use one.

"Poison's fine and everythin', but _real_ men kill with swords," Gin told him. "It's way more fun that way." Shiro discovered that he was quite adept with a blade. He had always been one of the best when they had played with bamboo rods and wooden swords back in Rukongai, and years of backbreaking labor in the fields had left him with a hardened, athletic body. But Gin's training was do or die. He came at Shiro full force every sparring session, with no regard for Shiro's safety or level of training. If he could stop the blade, then it stopped. If he couldn't, it didn't. Shiro was bloody and bruised at the end of every session from being sliced, diced, and whacked until he couldn't move. Sometimes, when he performed particularly poorly, Gin would whip him just for good measure.

On days when his injuries were exceptionally harsh, or when he had donated a significant amount of blood in the name of science, Matsumoto would care for him, bringing him tea and sweets as she tenderly washed and dressed his wounds. Shiro soon discovered that Matsumoto loved to talk, but as he himself had very little interest in the activity, he let her babble endlessly. The droning of her voice was calming, even if he didn't listen to the words it was forming, and it helped to distract him from the seemingly constant pain in his back.

At night he joined the rest of the Shinigami for dinner, where the men took enormous pleasure in passing him sho after sho of sake. They seemed to find the thought of getting a child drunk immensely entertaining. Shiro didn't mind. The sake numbed his mind and his wounds and gave him a welcome respite from reality. Matsumoto, her face painted like a china doll, would play the samisen until the sound of her music filled his soul with its painful cry and he lost track of everything else.

In the beginning they left him out of their village raids, saying that until he was properly trained he would be more of a hindrance than a help, and Shiro didn't mind one bit. At these times, he was left alone with Matsumoto, sometimes for weeks if the target village was far enough away, and she would refuse to let him touch poison unless Mayuri had left specific instructions. During these mini-vacations, Shiro would watch her as she practiced the samisen, cleaned the tea house, and did her hair, an activity that took much longer than it should have.

"A geisha's hair tells a story," she would explain. "You can learn a lot about a woman by how she does her hair." The normalcy of those days was so strange to Shiro that he didn't entirely know what to make of them. He looked forward to them, felt nervous and uncomfortable when they arrived, and tremendous relief when they were over. Matsumoto was nothing but kind to him, but the contrast between her and the rest of his companions, coupled with his utter distrust of affection, led him to keep a distance between himself and her.

On one occasion, Matsumoto told him that she wanted to take advantage of the nearly empty tea house to air out her kimonos.

"It's important to do this every once in a while," she informed him as she removed boxes from her closet. "Some of my kimonos aren't worn very often, so I need to air them out so they don't get moldy." She strung wires across several rooms, opened box after box of expensive silk, and hung each kimono with extreme care. Hitsugaya wandered through the multicolored forest, admiring the fine handiwork and beautiful patterns.

"Where'd you get all these?" he marveled. He had never seen so much wealth in one place, not even when the Shinigami came back from a raid and showed off their spoils. They were more interested in body count than collecting treasures after all, so they rarely brought back much.

"I've been a geisha my whole life," Matsumoto replied. "Men like giving geishas gifts. Having an expensive kimono collection comes with the territory. Although several of them I know were stolen." She bitterly indicated an area with ten or so kimonos. "Aizen-sama gave me those. He's given me many kimonos, but I can tell which ones he bought and which ones he didn't. Those belonged to women he's killed. I don't wear them if I can help it." Shiro looked at the kimonos and saw one that was ochre with red and gold trim. He recognized that kimono. It had belonged to one of the girls from his village. She had been a close friend of Momo's and treasured that kimono, which was a gift from her grandmother. She claimed it had been in the family for generations and only wore it on special occasions. Shiro felt bile rise in his throat and quickly turned away.

"Why do you do this?" he asked quietly, and Matsumoto paused in un-wrinkling a sleeve.

"Do what?" she asked, genuinely confused.

"This," he replied, making a wide sweeping gesture to indicate the tea house. "Why do you put up with this? This insane life, these crazy killers. You smile and laugh and play the samisen like you don't have a care in the world, yet it doesn't seem like you're particularly happy here. Why do you stay?" Matsumoto considered her answer carefully.

"Why do you?" was her reply.

"Huh?"

"Why don't you run away? You can't be happy here either." Shiro scoffed.

"It's not like running away would make any difference. I know too much, they'd just hunt me down and kill everyone around me. Besides, it's not like I have anywhere else to go." Matsumoto smiled sadly.

"Exactly. I'm just like you. Being a geisha is all I know. I have no other home and no other family. Aizen-sama owns me just as he owns you. I have no choice. So I play the part he expects me to play because that is all I can do. But he doesn't own my mind, and he never will." Shiro didn't reply. For the first time since he joined the Shinigami, he felt that maybe, just maybe, there was someone who could understand him. He turned away from her, too uncomfortable from his realization to look at her, and his eyes fell on the most spectacular thing he had ever seen. The kimono was electric blue and was decorated with a flowing vine of leaves, sakura petals, and butterflies. It was as if he was looking out the window into the emperor's garden. The whole kimono seemed alive, and Shiro was convinced the butterflies were actually moving and that a breeze ruffled the flora. He rose and went over to admire it more closely.

"You like it taicho?" Matsumoto asked.

"It's incredible," Shiro replied. "The best one you own. But I don't recognize it. Have you worn it before?" Matsumoto shook her head and smiled fondly.

"That's my favorite kimono," she told him. "It was one of the first ones I ever owned. It was given to me by a friend who was retiring from the geisha life so she could get married. For me, it represents hope and happiness and makes me think that one day I may be free from all this. I won't wear it in front of Aizen-sama. He doesn't deserve it." Shiro continued to stare at the kimono, mesmerized by its brilliance. Matsumoto grinned.

"Why don't I give it to you?" she offered.

"What?" he asked, completely startled. "What would I do with a kimono?"

"Not you then. When you've chosen the woman you're going to marry, then I'll give it to her."

"Why on earth would you do that?" Shiro asked dumbfounded. "Who says I'm ever getting married?" Matsumoto laughed.

"Just thought I'd give you something to look forward to. Besides, that kimono's a bit short for me." Shiro scoffed.

"You're insane, you know that?" Matsumoto giggled.

"I try."

**I hope that explained some of their backstory, especially with the kimono. Next week gets much more intense so look forward to it :P**


	30. 21 Ounces: Initiation

**This chapter is very dark and violent. Please be advised.**

Shiro had been enduring Mayuri and Gin's brutal training for almost a year when Aizen called him.

"I've been told that you are performing admirably," Aizen said with pleasure. "I think that it's high time you began accompanying us. Before we can do that however, I need you to prepare something for the upcoming raid. As you know, we often find it helpful to poison our target town's drinking water beforehand. It must be something that doesn't kill instantly and masks its effects as an illness, a simple fever or something similar, but powerful enough that it incapacitates the population. Think you're up to the task?" Shiro said he was and left to get to work. He gathered the necessary ingredients, and was preparing the poison when Matsumoto walked by.

"Are you joining them this time taicho?" she asked casually.

"I am," he replied, focusing intently on his mortar and pestle. "They aren't training me for nothing." Matsumoto was silent for a long while as she watched him work.

"Are you really ok with this?" she asked. "Making poison is one thing, but actually using it is another." Shiro continued to grind, applying much more force than was necessary. In all honesty he wasn't sure how he felt about the thought of taking another human being's life, but he had recently developed an unbelievable ability to separate his mind from his body; it was the only way he could subject himself to daily torture. So he pushed the idea of taking a life into the "body" category, leaving his mind free to shut it out. Matsumoto seemed to be fighting a fierce internal battle, but Shiro didn't ask her about it. The less weight she applied to his conscious, the better.

"Here," she said at last, pressing a small vial into his hand. "It's anti-nausea medicine. It's unmanly to vomit during…well, you'll see soon enough." She left the room in a rush, looking as though she needed the medicine more than he did.

Shiro finished the poison and headed to Aizen's room to present his work. As he rounded the corner however, he heard raised voices and saw two silhouettes on the other side of the thin shoji screen. Edging closer, he realized that the voice was Matsumoto in the middle of a shouting match.

"…just a child!" she wailed. "How could you even _think_ of putting him through initiation?"

"He's ready," Aizen replied simply, his voice much calmer than Matsumoto's. "He's a member of the Shinigami and it is time to put his skills to use. He is not here for your amusement."

"So you're going to corrupt him in addition to torturing him? His mind won't be able to take much more of this."

"It's better to learn that now rather than later, is it not? If he breaks just from initiation then he isn't worth our time anymore is he? I would like to know how useful he is before I expend more energy on him. He's just a tool after all."

"That's all people are to you aren't they? Tools for your amusement?" Shiro heard the sickening sound of someone being smacked, followed by a loud crash and the ripping of a shoji screen as Matsumoto tumbled through the paper wall and landed in a heap at Shiro's feet. Aizen towered over her, grabbing the front of her kimono and roughly yanking her up to face him.

"You are my tool too Matsumoto," he said sternly yet playfully, as if he was lightly scolding a puppy that was too cute to discipline properly. "And don't you forget it." The contrast between his voice and his words was jarring. He tossed Matsumoto back to the ground like she was nothing more than a sack of dirty laundry and looked up at Shiro with a pleasant grin.

"Hello taicho," he said cheerily. "I presume you have a poison for me." Shiro soundlessly handed over his creation, too afraid to open his mouth after what he had just witnessed. Aizen appraised him fondly. "I have high hopes for you taicho," he said proudly, but there was toxin in his words. "I trust you won't disappoint me. Come, we must prepare for the raid." He placed a loaded hand on Shiro's shoulder and steered him away, leaving a mortified and wounded Matsumoto to cry alone.

ooooooooooooooo

Shiro should have felt that leaving Matsumoto in a crying heap on the floor was a bad omen, but the Shinigami shoved so much sake down his throat as they rode out that his mind was not where it should have been. It took the better part of the day to reach the target village and the Shinigami unabashedly took out several rooms at a local inn. The innkeeper and his wife were a delightful couple with children; twins, a boy and a girl who were the same age as Shiro's twin sisters, Hikari and Akari. He avoided looking at them as much as possible.

That night, he and Mayuri crept out of the inn and, under cover of darkness, emptied several bottles of their poison into the well at the center of town, the only source of drinking water.

"Now what?" Shiro asked. Mayuri's face lit up into a maniacal grin.

"Now we wait."

They waited two whole days. By nightfall on the second day over half the town was stricken with a high fever and delirium. Several of the elderly had already succumbed.

"We're going to leave before the epidemic gets worse," Aizen informed the innkeeper, who had wrapped a wet cloth around his burning forehead. "Thank you for your hospitality." After leaving the inn, the Shinigami gathered at the edge of town to pregame and finish preparations.

"Watch yer back taicho-chan," Gin warned him. "We don't wantcha' getting' hurt out there." He winked at him and Shiro felt a lead weight settle into the pit of his stomach. At twilight, Aizen gave the signal and the Shinigami let out a battle cry and descended on the town. In seconds, several houses were ablaze. Shiro watched in numb horror as women were dragged from their homes, children screamed, and men were sliced brutally in half. Shiro found that his feet were rooted to the ground. He couldn't move at all, though whether he wanted to run towards the fight or away from it he couldn't be too sure. In less than an hour the entire town was ablaze and dead bodies littered the streets. The only movement was from the Shinigami, who prowled through the carnage like hyenas, collecting valuables and finishing off anyone who was still alive. Suddenly, Gin appeared at Shiro's side.

"Let's go taicho," he ordered. "It's time fer your initiation." He roughly grabbed Shiro's arm and yanked him down the decimated streets which reeked of smoke and death, to the smoldering remains of the inn they had stayed at. The Shinigami were gathered in a circle around something, but Shiro couldn't see what it was.

"Ah," Aizen said from the center. "Our guest of honor has arrived." A break formed in the circle and Shiro entered. He froze when he saw what was inside.

The innkeeper and his wife were dead, sprawled on the floor, warm blood still seeping from their necks. Sitting next to them, clutching each other desperately and trembling violently, were their children, their eyes puffy and red. Aizen began to circle them slowly, like a vulture considering its prey.

"There is a saying," Aizen began, "that when a man dies, his body instantly becomes twenty one ounces lighter. It is therefore assumed by many that that is the weight of the human soul." Aizen paused and looked directly at Shiro. "That is the only difference between a live man and a dead one. Just twenty one measly ounces." Aizen drew his sword and handed it to Shiro. "Please relieve these children of their extra weight."

Shiro stared at the sword in his hand, then at the petrified children and back again. The Shinigami around him began to goad him, cheering and yelling and encouraging him to get the job done. Shiro looked at the children. Too scared to cry anymore, they simply clung to each other tightly, gaping at him with glazed eyes. The sake in Shiro's system was overpowering his senses. He couldn't think clearly. But, as he gazed at the children, their dead parents splayed out in front of them, all he could see was himself. These children had no hope, no future. The only thing that waited for them beyond this circle was despair. The best thing he could do for them was put them out of their misery. And so, before he could change his mind, he raised his sword high and swung down as hard as he could, killing both children at once. The Shinigami exploded in cheers and applause and they descended on Shiro, congratulating him on a wildly successful initiation. But Shiro was so wrapped up in separating himself from reality that he didn't hear a thing.

**Really dark I know, but I think it gives you a lot of insight into who Hitsugaya is.**


	31. 21 Ounces: Revenge

**Sorry, I know these chapters are a bit short, but I think they're heavy enough to make up for that. This chapter also has scenes of violence and torture, so please be advised.**

It was dawn by the time they reached home and Matsumoto was roused from bed to prepare food and sake. The initiation was cause for more celebration than usual after a raid, but Shiro wasn't sure what they were celebrating. Instead, he downed sho after sho of sake, drinking twice as much as he ever had before amidst the prodding and whooping of the crowd. Eventually, the Shinigami began slowing down, drunk off success and alcohol, and they either retired to their rooms or passed out right where they were. Shiro felt a soft hand on his back and followed its lead, too drunk to think straight. He became vaguely aware that he was being led to Matsumoto's room and that she was speaking to him in a soothing voice. She closed the door behind them and handed him a large bowl.

"We're alone taicho," she told him. It seemed that Shiro was waiting for her to say that because the second the words were out of her mouth, he leaned over the bowl and vomited.

After several minutes of cleaning out his system, Shiro's head felt clearer, but he didn't feel any better about that fact. Instead, it made him feel worse.

"Matsumoto," he said hoarsely. "Do you have a knife?" Matsumoto's face darkened.

"And just what would you need with a knife?" she asked tersely. Shiro looked away. Matsumoto grabbed his shoulders and brought her face to his.

"You are _not_ allowed to kill yourself! Do you hear me?"

"Why not?" Shiro cried. "Why do I deserve to live? I killed them! I killed…" For the first time since joining the Shinigami, Shiro felt his eyes well up with tears. Matsumoto's hands left his shoulders and she wrapped her arms around him instead as he broke down completely and sobbed his heart out into her neck. Matsumoto stroked his back comfortingly and let him cry as a year of pent up rage and hurt and pain came pouring out of him. When he had cried all the tears he had and his outburst had been reduced to minor sniffles and hiccoughs, Matsumoto spoke.

"Every life is precious taicho. Including yours. If you regret what you did last night, then do something about it. But killing yourself is not the answer." Shiro shook his head.

"No, you're right. I'm going to kill them instead." He pulled away from Matsumoto's comfortable embrace. "When you serve them dinner tonight, leave a bottle of sake in the kitchen," he instructed her. "And, once you're in the room, don't leave. I don't want you to be suspected of anything if I fail."

ooooooooooooooooo

Luckily, Mayuri was passed out cold with the rest of the Shinigami, so Shiro was allowed to lock himself in the laboratory undetected. Once there, he concocted the strongest, most deadly poison he could that was odorless, tasteless, and colorless. He wasn't an expert like Mayuri, but he had been in training for a year and was convinced that his poison was toxic enough.

That night the Shinigami settled in for dinner still groggy and hung over. When Matsumoto entered with food, Shiro excused himself to go to the bathroom, but instead of heading to the toilet, he went to the kitchen, where he found the bottle of sake Matsumoto had left out for him. As carefully as he could, Shiro opened the bottle and emptied his vial of poison inside. Before he could change his mind, Shiro took the bottle and returned to the dining room.

"Anyone want sake?" he asked, holding the bottle up. Despite their hang overs, the men seemed to brighten at the suggestion of sake and Shiro smiled and laughed with them as he circled the table, filling cups. Shiro did his best to keep a calm exterior, but his palms were sweating. He forced his breathing to remain steady as Aizen eyed the sake carefully and stood.

"I propose a toast!" he announced. "To our newest member." Aizen raised his glass high, but instead of drinking it, he poured it into the vase of fresh flowers that Matsumoto had placed on the table. In under a minute, the flowers shriveled up, their petals falling to the table in wizened brown chunks. Everybody froze. Shiro felt his mouth go dry. Aizen smiled patiently at him.

"Taicho, I'd like you to come with me," he said simply, as if he was asking him to go on a casual stroll. For lack of a better idea, Shiro obeyed, but he distinctly noticed that Matsumoto had hidden her face.

Shiro was convinced that Aizen was going to force him to drink the poison, but he didn't. Instead, he led Shiro to his room.

"Remove your clothes," he ordered. Shiro obeyed. "Sit." Shiro did as he was told. This won't be so bad, Shiro reasoned with himself. It didn't look like Aizen was going to kill him. He had been whipped and beaten before. He could handle this. It would be just like all those other times.

He had never been more wrong.

When Mayuri punished him, it was a quick sting or burn. Painful, but usually not lasting. There was momentary horrific pain when Gin whipped him, but then it was over. Aizen was different. Aizen's punishment for Shiro's crime was nothing short of sadistic torture. For the next two days Shiro sat naked on the floor without food or water while Aizen slowly carved into his back with a rusty nail. Rivers of blood ran down his skin and across the floor. Shiro nearly fainted more than once. He bit his tongue so hard it bled but he refused to do Aizen the satisfaction of crying out.

At the end of the second day he finally blacked out. Shiro didn't know what happened to him after that, but when he awoke, he found himself lying on his stomach, Matsumoto tending to his wounds just as she had a year ago on his first night with the Shinigami.

"Are you alright taicho?" she asked, but the question was so preposterous that he didn't even validate it with an answer. Instead he said,

"If I can't kill them with poison, I'll kill them with my sword." Matsumoto paused.

"After what you just went through, you still want to try?"

"I have to. It's the only form of penance I have. But I'm not strong enough. Not now. So I'll wait. I'll play the part and do what I'm told, and I'll train like mad until I'm confident I can kill each and every one of them. And when it's all over, I'll seal my sword and not so much as scratch another human being ever again. I swear." Matsumoto sighed sadly.

"I understand. Then I'll do everything in my power to support you until that time comes." Shiro didn't reply. He didn't need to. Matsumoto returned to washing his back and the two spent the rest of the night in companionable silence.

ooooooooooooooooooo

After Shiro recovered he threw himself into his training full force. Aizen wasn't one to hold grudges, so after his punishment was complete, he allowed Shiro to return to the Shinigami as a regular member and never mentioned the incident again. Shiro pushed himself harder than he ever had in his life and his skill with a sword rapidly improved. As a fully fledged Shinigami, Shiro was privy to information, such as Aizen's interesting strategy for choosing target villages, which turned out to be quite complicated yet systematic so as not to arouse suspicion as to their whereabouts or identities. He was also expected to participate in the raids. He drank as much sake as he could beforehand and did as little damage as possible, but he still killed dozens of people and burned hundreds of homes.

His injuries were fewer and farther between now, but he still visited Matsumoto regularly, for emotional support if nothing else. She was the only thing in his life that seemed real and he clung to her more desperately than he was willing to admit.

It took two more years, but eventually Shiro felt that he had reached his goal. He was acclaimed as the fastest and most skillful with the sword of any of his companions, and his knowledge of poisons rivaled Mayuri's. Aizen had started to treat him like his son and the word "successor" was thrown around quite a bit. One morning, Shiro went to Matsumoto's room and, after ensuring that they were quite alone, informed her.

"I'm doing it tonight. I'm ready. It's time." Matsumoto didn't need to ask what "it" was. Her face lit up with anxiety.

"I want you to get out of the house," he continued. "If you got caught up in this, I'd never forgive myself. Go to the dock and get on a boat to Edo. You can easily pay for a ticket with a kimono. It's crowded there. You'll be safe."

"I'm not leaving without you," Matsumoto stated soundly. "Not after all this." Shiro paused. He knew Matsumoto well enough to know that she wouldn't budge from this issue. He sighed.

"Then wait for me at the dock. I still don't want you near the house. But, if I'm not there by sunrise, then take the first boat out by yourself. Don't linger in Kyoto and _don't _return here." Matsumoto considered this, but knew it was the best choice available for them. She nodded.

"Be careful taicho," she said affectionately. Shiro nodded.

"I will be."


	32. 21 Ounces: Into the Inferno

**I know you've all been waiting for this. Sorry to keep you in suspense, but I hope it was worth it :P**

Shiro waited until everyone in the tea house was drunk and sound asleep. It was a hot summer night and the eerie cry of the cicadas drowned out small noises. That, coupled with the lack of a moon provided the perfect cover for the biggest risk Shiro had ever taken in his life. If he was caught this time, he wouldn't get away with just a few days with a nail. Aizen would kill him for sure. His sword planted firmly at his waist, he slipped into the first bedroom, silent as a cat, and with a thin, hand length dagger, slit the throats of three Shinigami as they slept. His internal clock began to tick. Minor members aside, the upper echelons could smell blood a mile away and were drawn to it like starved sharks. Once the first throat was slit it was only a matter of time before the rest of the tea house knew what he was up to.

He made it to the next room, and the next, but as he left the third room to head to the fourth he began to hear the house stirring. Time for phase two. Racing to his room as quickly and quietly as he could he grabbed the lit candle and bottle of sake he had stored in preparation for this fight. He held the candle up to his shoji wall and the vulnerable rice paper instantly caught. The house of paper and wood provided its own kindling, but Shiro needed the fire to spread as quickly as possible, so when his room was fully ablaze, Shiro ran down the hallway, scatting sake as he went. He heard footsteps and turned to see three minor Shinigami enter the hallway.

"Taicho, what's going on?" they asked, bewildered. "Who started the…?" but caught unaware and unarmed, they were quickly dispatched by Shiro's sword. The second group that appeared came armed, but as many of the Shinigami were talented only in killing unarmed civilians, they were no match for Shiro and soon were added to the growing pile of corpses. As Shiro tallied up the body count, he realized that he was close to his goal: only Mayuri, Gin, and Aizen remained.

Smoke was filling the hall by this point, clogging his lungs and stinging his eyes. Around him, he could hear the threatening cracking of wood as the support beams of the house threatened to give way. Shiro left the source of the blaze, hunting his prey as best he could amidst the fog of black ash.

He found Mayuri first. While a genius when it came to poison, Mayuri was not the strongest with a blade. Shiro was careful to avoid coming into contact with Mayuri's sword, which he knew for a fact was laced with venom, but Shiro was swifter and stronger so he maneuvered himself with ease.

"Damn slippery eel," Mayuri cursed as Shiro evaded yet another wild swing. "Hold still and let me crush you!" Shiro dodged, saw his opening, and drove his blade home, piercing Mayuri directly though the heart. He shook the skewered man off and left him to die; there were more important fights to be had.

"Well well well, if it ain't the chibi taicho. Were you bored or somethin'?" Gin's weasel voice sent a chill down Shiro's spine despite the furnace temperature. Shiro gripped his sword tighter, preparing for the first real challenge of the evening.

"Oyah, ain't this just adorable!" Gin cooed sickeningly. "Ya' really wanna' fight me, don'tcha'? I hope ya' ain't forgettin' who taught ya' everything ya' know." Shiro most certainly _hadn't_ forgotten that it was Gin who taught him how to fight in the first place. The main reason this night had taken so long to arrive was because Shiro wasn't confident that he _could_ beat Gin, let alone Aizen. Gin was Aizen's right hand man, slick as a fish and fast as a striking snake, with senses even a bat would envy. Only Aizen seemed able to keep him at bay. But Shiro had been training on his own for ages now and had learned moves he had never shown to anyone else, and he was banking on those to get him through.

With sweat pouring down his brow from the heat and adrenaline, Shiro attacked. Gin stepped aside with ease. Gin's circle walking technique was also top notch, something that had caused Shiro endless frustration and pain, but by this time he knew all of Gin's movement tricks and could read his body language incredibly well. With only a few well placed feints, he forced Gin to draw. A raging battle ensued as their swords danced with deadly steps, reflecting the blinding light from the fire around them. Sparks flew off their katanas, adding to the glowing ash rising from the blaze. Shiro pulled back, readying himself for a deadly swing, when he saw something that made his blood run cold. Emerging from the blanket of flames, was Aizen, Matsumoto caught tight in his grasp, a dagger resting on her throat.

"Look who I found trying to escape," Aizen said casually, as if Matsumoto was a dog who had gotten out of the house. A wave of panic hit Shiro like a ton of bricks. If he couldn't even save Matsumoto, then what was all this for?

"Let her go!" he demanded. "She's done nothing wrong!" Aizen smirked.

"Oh I beg to differ. You see, this geisha here is my property. I paid for her and I can do whatever I like with her. I've let this affair she's been having with you go on for quite long enough. It is high time she was punished properly." He pressed his sword closer to her throat and Shiro watched in horror as beads of blood formed on the edge, trickling down the metal in a sickening stream. Matsumoto fought against his hold to no avail. Shiro desperately wanted to help her, but he knew that one wrong move would result in her instant death.

"Shame ta' lose her though," Gin said with a sigh. "She was quite entertaining."

"Yes, but also quite replaceable," Aizen replied. "She is a beauty though." Aizen used his free hand to trace a line down Matsumoto's cheek. Matsumoto shuttered.

"Let her go!" Shiro insisted, his palms sweating so violently it was becoming difficult to hold his sword. Aizen gave him a rueful smirk.

"I believe I am the one giving orders here," he said playfully. "Now kindly drop your sword." Shiro checked at the thought, but he really had no choice. He laid his sword on the floor, and, as he did so, made eye contact with Matsumoto. She looked clearly shaken but wildly alert. Shiro barred his teeth and prayed like hell she'd get the message and be brave enough to listen. Aizen's fingers were barely an inch from her mouth. If she could just…

Matsumoto did indeed get the message. As Shiro straightened, Matsumoto jerked her head to the side, took Aizen's finger in her mouth and bit down as hard as she could. Instinctively, Aizen released his hold on her and she stumbled forward. Rather than wasting time picking up his sword, Shiro reached into his sleeve and extracted the dagger he had used earlier. In less than a second he had pulled back and hurled it through the air where it landed in Aizen's left eye. Aizen clutched his head in pain as he fought to extract the dagger. Shiro seized his chance.

"Move!" he cried and Matsumoto didn't need to be told twice. She sprinted away through the flames and out into the safety of the street. The instant she was clear, Shiro launched himself at Aizen, but Gin stepped into his path, blocking his way. Shiro refused to waste this vital opportunity. Rather than reach for his sword, Shiro rammed head first into Gin's gut. Gin, startled by the unexpected move, stumbled backwards and into Aizen, who was still attempting to remove the dagger from his eye. The pair lost their balance and fell against a burning beam before they tumbled to the ground. Aizen gasped as the force of Gin's body upon him pressed the dagger deeper into his eye. The pressure of their impact on a wooden structure that nearly been turned to charcoal was the final trigger. With only a split second warning, the beam collapsed, bringing the entire burning roof crashing down on the heads of the Shinigami and crushing them under its weight. Shiro watched the fire as it roared around his victims and he could hear their desperate shrieks as the flames licked their flesh. He waited with baited breath until the screams died down and the only sounds remaining were the crinkling and popping of the fire. It was over. He had won.

Standing in the center of the charring tea house, bonfires still smoldering around him, Shiro felt his first sense of relief since he had left Rukongai and he dropped to his knees as he let that feeling embrace him. Now all he had to do was meet Matsumoto at the docks and escape to Edo. But, as he watched the final glowing embers of her tea house smolder, he knew he couldn't do it. Matsumoto had become too important to him. He loved her dearly, as a surrogate mother and sister, the only person he could truly call his family now. And he knew that he didn't deserve her. After everything he had done he had no right to settle down with a loving family and pretend that nothing had happened. He needed to atone for his sins, for the lives he had destroyed. Until he was satisfied that he had paid the price he owed society, he had no business being happy himself. And so, Shiro took one of the horses that had survived the fire and galloped off in the opposite direction of the harbor to begin his life as a wanderer.

oooooooooooooo

Once her breathing had returned to normal, Matsumoto traded a kimono for two boat tickets to Edo and waited for Shiro to join her. He never came. Contrary to his instructions, she let the first boat leave without her. The next one, and the next departed as well. Matsumoto waited at Kyoto harbor for three days. On the evening of the third day, she finally was willing to admit to herself that he wasn't coming. She didn't think for a moment that he was dead; he was too strong to die, but she knew in her heart that he felt the need to atone for what he had done. As heartbroken as she was that he was leaving her alone, she was proud of him. The child she had taken under her wing had become a man.

"We'll meet again someday taicho," she whispered to the night wind. "I'm sure of it." And with that, Matsumoto bid Kyoto and her old life farewell and boarded a ship to Edo.

**This is the last chapter in Hitsugaya's backstory, so next chapter we'll finally get back to the main plot. I hope you enjoyed this side story and that it was satisfying enough. The drama and insanity isn't over though, so don't go anywhere :D**


	33. Hitsugaya's Resolve

**Yay, a return to the main story! Thanks for waiting and I hope you enjoy this chapter. A lot of stuff's about to happen…**

Hitsugaya finished his story and stared blankly into his cold, untouched tea, too afraid to look Karin in the eye.

"So that's my story," he said in defeat. "Now you know." Hitsugaya felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Everything was out in the open now. He had nothing left to hide. At the same time however, a lump of thick clay was churning in his stomach as he had no idea how Karin would react. All her fears had surely been realized. The man she fell in love with was a trained assassin, a serial killer, an arsonist, and a thief. What's more, he had broken his vow to keep his sword sealed. There was no way she would ever forgive him. Hitsugaya braved a glance at Karin's face and was startled to see that she was crying. Teardrops glistened at the corners of her eyelashes and her nose was cherry red. He looked away quickly, too embarrassed to watch this strong willed woman cry for his sake.

The silence stretched out interminably, neither knowing exactly what to say. Finally, Karin rose and walked over to sit behind him.

"Show me your back," she insisted.

"What…?"

"I said show me your back!" Hitsugaya didn't really feel that he was in any position to disobey, so he slipped his arms out of his kimono, allowing it to fall to the floor and leaving his back bare.

Now that she could see it up close, the scars were even worse than Karin could have imagined. The gashes and folds of skin still looked painful even after all these years. Karin raised a finger and carefully traced each wound, each line, each scar, trying to grasp the magnitude of what he had been through. She couldn't even fathom the pain each wound had caused, nor the emotional scars which were worse than any physical ones.

Hitsugaya remained as still as a statue throughout Karin's exploration. Her finger seemed as heavy as lead and as hot as molten lava as it impressed each of his sins deeper into his body, but he allowed it to continue. To lay everything bare in this fashion after all these years of keeping them bottled up inside was tremendously cathartic.

It seemed like an eternity but Karin finally reached the last scar. She took one final glance at the ravaged skin before falling against him, wrapping her arms tightly around him, and pressing her face between his mutilated shoulder blades.

"I love these scars," she said at last. "I love this back because it's a part of you. It's a terrible thing that you may wish to forget, but it's still you. It's you as taicho and you as Hinamori Shiro. But the man I fell in love with is Hitsugaya Toushiro. He has a past he cannot change, but it's a part of him, and so I accept it because I love him. All of him. Everything he is and everything he was." She squeezed him tighter. "Thank you for telling me Toushiro."

Hitsugaya didn't reply. He clasped Karin's hands, which were resting on his chest, and held them close. They stayed in that position for a long time, neither one willing to break the spell that had been cast upon them. It was the waitress who forced them back to reality.

"Excuse me," she said, tapping on the door. "Would you like some more tea?" Hitsugaya and Karin jumped apart, Hitsugaya speedily redressing himself. They declined the waitress's offer, paid the bill and left. They had been talking for so long that dusk had fallen. Several shopkeepers had lit paper lanterns outside their bars and restaurants and the evening crowd milled around them.

"So now what?" Karin asked. Hitsugaya's face was set.

"Now," he replied, "There is one more thing I have to do."

ooooooooooooooooooo

"You're back!" Hanataro exclaimed in relief, clutching his heart. "I was worried you had run away or something." Karin rolled her eyes.

"Why would we do that?" They had returned to the elevens' house where all the elevens, Renji, Hanataro, and Hinamori were still gathered around the table. Matsumoto's face was burning red. Hinamori's eyes were bloodshot and bloated from crying. It was apparent that Matsumoto had just told them Hitsugaya's story. Hinamori looked up at Hitsugaya with utter pity.

"Shiro-chan, I…" she began, but Hitsugaya cut her off.

"Get niisan," he commanded. Hinamori balked.

"But…"

"I said get niisan! There's…there's something I need to tell him." Hinamori nodded and slipped out of the house. Her absence was filled by a heavy silence in the wake of Hitsugaya and Matsumoto's confession.

"So I was right," Renji said awkwardly in an attempt to relieve the tension. Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow. "You _did_ have a girl. That's why you know how to do a woman's hair and put on a kimono and stuff."

"Yes, but I never slept with her," Hitsugaya pointed out as everyone laughed nervously. The laughter died quickly as Hinamori returned with a tall, sickly looking young man with drawn cheekbones and Hitsugaya's nose.

"Shiro!" he exclaimed, gaping at his younger brother whom he had assumed was long dead. "Shiro, is it really you? Momo told me but I…"

"Niisan," Hitsugaya cut him off. "Please give Momo-nee permission to marry Kira." Jyuushiro's jaw dropped, as did the jaws of several of the elevens.

"Shiro," Jyuushiro began slowly, trying to regain his composure after that unexpected request. "Kira is a thief. He comes from a bad lot and I don't think Momo should…"

"I'm a thief too," Hitsugaya said darkly. "I'm a thief and a murderer and a member of the worst lot you can possibly imagine. Kira is a thousand times better than I am and, what's more important, he makes Momo-nee happy. You helped ruin my life. Now I'm asking you for a favor. Don't ruin Momo-nee's. Let her have the happiness you denied me." Jyuushiro still looked pathetic.

"Shiro, I…"

"Don't you _dare_ call me that!" Hitsugaya cried. "Hinamori Shiro is dead. My name is Hitsugaya Toushiro. You are no longer my brother and Momo-nee is no longer my sister, but please do your dead brother one last favor and grant him this request. Besides…" he added, looking away from Jyuushiro and lowering his voice almost to a whisper. "The snow is melting. It's wedding season." Jyuushiro had tears in his eyes. Hinamori was crying freely again. Everyone else was simply waiting with baited breath, not daring to move. Finally, Jyuushiro sighed.

"Momo, you really think he can make you happy?" Hinamori nodded. Jyuushiro sighed again.

"Then I guess I can't say no anymore can I?" Hinamori's face lit up through her tears. She hugged Jyuushiro and jumped into Kira's arms, who picked her up and swung her around as the elevens applauded wildly. Kira returned Hinamori to the ground and she turned to Hitsugaya.

"Shiro-chan," she said affectionately, "I…"

"My name isn't Shiro," he repeated. "It's Hitsugaya Toushiro." Hinamori looked like she wanted to laugh and cry at the same time, but she held herself together.

"Thank you," she said sincerely. "And, I know it doesn't mean much now, but I really am sorry." Hitsugaya didn't reply. He stepped out of the room, asking to be left alone, and shut himself in a bedroom. No one bothered him for the rest of the evening, but as Karin walked past the room on her way to bed, she thought she heard a sob.

ooooooooooooooooo

Matsumoto was still awake when Hitsugaya knocked on her door. Dawn was nigh and most of the stars had already been snuffed out, but Matsumoto hadn't slept as she waited for the visitor she knew would come.

"You're late," she chided as she let him in. "I thought you'd come earlier." Hitsugaya still had bags under his eyes from crying and lack of sleep, but they were fiercer and more determined than Matsumoto had ever seen them.

"Matsumoto," Hitsugaya began without preamble. "Lend me a horse." Matsumoto sighed. She knew this was coming, but it didn't make this conversation any easier.

"I can't talk you out of this can I?" she asked in defeat. Hitsugaya shook his head.

"This is something I have to do. I don't know why I didn't do it when you told me last time, but I think I was so blinded by the joy of being around Karin and the fear of unsealing my sword that I didn't want to think about it. But yesterday reminded me of what I really need to do. I can't just think about my own happiness and worries. I need to finish what I started. It's my responsibility."

"Karin-chan's not going to like this." Hitsugaya looked at the floor.

"I know." He reached into his kimono and pulled out a small cloth bag that jingled with the sound of money.

"Take this," he said, placing it on the floor. "It's for Orihime. Take care of her for me will you?" Matsumoto nodded.

"And Karin?" Hitsugaya tightened his hands into painful fists.

"Tell her I'm sorry." He turned to leave.

"Taicho!" she called after him. He paused and she handed him the piece of paper she had prepared for him. It had a drawing of a man with a burned face and a patch over his left eye. The paragraph beneath the figure said he was wanted for the death of a man he had allegedly stabbed during a bar fight.

There was so much Matsumoto wished to say to Hitsugaya at that moment. He had a life now, a fiancé, a daughter. He could have a real family if he could just let the past go. But the words just wouldn't come. No matter what she said to him now, she knew it wouldn't change anything. So she settled for the only thing she could think of.

"Be careful," she warned. Hitsugaya nodded.

"I'll try." Hitsugaya and Matsumoto were both so focused on the paper in Hitsugaya's hands that neither of them noticed the patter of tiny footsteps as they ran away from the door.

**If you're confused, just remember the night that Hitsugaya and Matsumoto first reunited. Matsumoto told him that "he" was still alive. She was talking about Aizen. I'll be the first to admit that it's a little out of character that Hitsugaya didn't go chasing after Aizen immediately upon receiving that news, and if I could write the story over, I would have them discover that Aizen is alive now rather than having them already know, but I can't change what I've written, so this is how the story has to go for now. If you want me to publish addendums to the story to make the change, let me know and I will, but for now just accept that Hitsugaya is determined now to find Aizen.**


	34. Catfights and Confessions

**Wow, thanks everyone for your amazing reviews of the last chapter. I hope I can keep living up to it. I really like this chapter and I think it's almost as jam-packed as the last one, so I hope you enjoy it too :)**

Karin was _not_ expecting to be shaken awake at the crack of dawn.

"Wha…?" she asked groggily, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. "What time is it?"

"Karin-neechan!" Orihime cried, still pushing frantically on Karin's side. "I think something's wrong with Tou-niichan!"

"What is he _still_ crying?" Karin grumbled. "He should go to bed like a normal person. He'll feel so much better on the other side of unconsciousness. You should go back to bed too. Good night." Karin lay back down in a heap but Orihime was insistent.

"He's _not_ crying! He said something about a horse and taking care of me and telling you sorry and…" but Orihime didn't need to finish. Karin, who was instantly wide awake, bolted to her feet and, shouting a quick order to Orihime to stay put, sprinted as fast as her legs would carry her to the stable. Hitsugaya was climbing into a saddle when she arrived.

"Toushiro!" she shrieked, and Hitsugaya nearly fell off the horse. "Where the heck do you think you're going? What, you think now that you've told everyone about your past that you can't stay with us anymore? Didn't I tell you I don't care? That I love you anyway?"

"It's…not about that," Hitsugaya replied, refusing to look at her. "I can't even begin to tell you how grateful I am that you said all that, but that has nothing to do with this."

"What is this?" Karin demanded in exasperation. "What's so important that you're running away in the middle of the night without saying anything? Weren't you the one with abandonment issues?" That stung. Karin seemed to realize that she'd crossed a line. "Sorry," she apologized quickly. "But…"

"You don't understand!" Hitsugaya hollered. "How can you possibly understand?"

"Understand what? What else are you keeping from me?" Hitsugaya's face was filled with rage, but it wasn't directed at Karin. It was a distinctive self loathing that marred his features.

"He's still alive!" he screeched. "That sick twisted murder is still alive and I knew it and I should have done something the second I found out but I didn't, so I'm responsible for the lives he's taken all over again. I have to end this. With my own hands."

"So you're going to kill him," Karin said darkly.

"I am," Hitsugaya replied with conviction.

"So that's it then? After everything you went through, after the promise you made not to kill people anymore, after all the atonement you did, you're just going to fall back on your old ways? I thought taicho was dead."

"That vow I made was only valid for _after_ I killed Aizen! But since he's not dead I'm not really going back on that vow am I?"

"And just how many people do you think you're going to have to kill to get to him?" Karin cried. "He's not alone is he? I'm sure he has a whole new team of Shinigami working for him that you're going to have to fight through. Are you going to kill them too? What does your vow say about that?"

"Are you saying that it's ok to let scum like that live?" Hitsugaya was livid.

"I'm saying that it doesn't have to be you! You don't have to kill anyone, and you don't have to do this alone. I'll help you. Renji, Nezumi-chan, the elevens, we'd all help you.

"No," Hitsugaya stated firmly. "I can't put everyone at risk. This is my fight. I have to do it alone. I have to kill Aizen. I'm not asking you to understand, nor am I asking you to forgive me. But, for what it's worth, I am sorry. I love you Karin, but I have to do this." Before Karin could respond, Hitsugaya had flicked the reigns and galloped off into the grey dawn.

oooooooooooooooooo

Karin nearly broke Matsumoto's door off the wall.

"So you just _let_ him go?" she screamed, beside herself with fury. "You know what he's about to do and you just let him go? If anyone could have stopped him, it would have been you!" Matsumoto was amazingly calm.

"If you couldn't stop him, no one could," Matsumoto assured her. "This is something he has to do."

"No it's not!" Karin yelled. "Why did he have to run off alone? Why does he have to carry this burden by himself? I don't understand!"

"What the heck's going on in here?" Renji asked with a yawn, coming into the room accompanied by every other resident of the house. They were rumpled and irritated at having been woken up in such a crude manner. "It's way too early for a cat fight."

"Toushiro's gone," Karin announced. "He just picked up and ran away to kill that Aizen freak who's apparently still alive and he's convinced that he has to go off by himself and break every promise he's made to everyone he's cared about in the last decade." Karin felt like crying. Maybe she would never understand him. Maybe she couldn't. Maybe the only person who could ever understand him was…

"You." Karin turned to Matsumoto as a strange emotion washed over her. "He was in love with you wasn't he? He's still in love with you!" Matsumoto looked like Karin had just informed her that she had turned into a pumpkin. She couldn't help herself. She laughed.

"What on earth makes you say that?" Matsumoto asked while trying to stifle her laughter. Karin did not look like she was in the mood to be laughed at. "He was a _child_ when I met him. That was the only reason I took him under my wing and treated him as I did. Yes I love him, but he's like a kid brother, and if he loves me at all it's as an older sister. Nothing more. Why would you even think there was anything else?"

"He said goodbye to you didn't he?" Karin snarled. "He told you his plans didn't he? He left Orihime to you, he _trusted_ you! But he obviously didn't trust me. Maybe he doesn't really love me." Matsumoto crossed the room in two quick strides and slapped Karin across the face.

"_You_ are the one who doesn't understand!" Matsumoto erupted, fire blazing in her eyes. "He left to take care of Aizen by himself because he loves you _too_ much. Aizen is insane and dangerous and he doesn't want to risk your life by allowing you to get anywhere near him. I think it is _you_ who doesn't trust _him_!" The two women glared daggers at each other. Karin's fingers itched to reach for her swords but she had left them in her room. The elevens refused to intervene out of pure fright. It was Hanataro who broke the stalemate.

"Ojosama," he said firmly, placing a steady hand on her elbow. "Let's go home." Karin still looked like she wanted to fight, but she thought the better of it and allowed Hanataro to pull her out of the room.

ooooooooooooooooooo

Karin smoldered silently as Hanataro quickly gathered their belongings and led her out onto the street which was now awash in fresh morning light. Icicles were dripping and tinkling like wind chimes and the air truly felt fresh and warm, but Karin didn't notice. Her mind was still reeling.

"How are we getting home?" she grumbled, more to complain about something rather than because she really cared about the answer.

"We'll walk," Hanataro replied. "Or hitch a ride. We may be a few days late for your birthday if we travel that way, but we'll make it. We're very close now. We can…"

"Why?" Karin asked, her voice surprisingly gentle.

"Pardon?" Hanataro replied, confused.

"Why do you put up with me? You just watched me lose every ounce of composure I ever claimed to have and abandon a whole room full of friends and yet you talk to me like nothing's wrong. Like everything's going to be ok just because you say so. Why do you always do all this for me?" Hanataro smiled softly.

"Because I love you the same way Hitsugaya-sama loves Matsumoto-san. I know that you're hot-headed and impulsive and short tempered, and there are days I'm convinced you'll drive me to madness, but I'll always follow you and I'll always be there for you when you need me because you are the most important person in my life and the closest thing to a sister I'll ever have."

In all the years Karin had known him, Hanataro had never been so honest with his feelings about her. Karin was so touched her breath caught in her throat. Hanataro blushed a furious shade of red but held her gaze.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" Karin and Hanataro turned to see Renji grinning broadly, Orihime riding joyfully on his shoulders. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say chibi-chan just confessed." Karin collected herself.

"W…what makes you say that?" she barked. Hanataro turned away, too embarrassed to face Renji in his current state. Renji laughed.

"Oh, just the look on your faces…wait, don't tell me he _did_?" Renji gaped at them incredulously.

"Of course not!" Karin shot a little more forcefully than was probably necessary. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I wanna go with Karin-neechan!" Orihime said happily. "'Cause Tou-niichan will always go back to where Karin-neechan is!" Karin looked startled by this declaration, but she smiled despite herself. It was difficult not to smile around Orihime and she was touched by her faith.

"And you?" Karin asked Renji. "What's your excuse?" Renji shrugged.

"I promised I'd get you to Karakura and I don't recall that promise being contingent on Toushiro being a scab or not." Karin felt a rush of warmth flow through her heart. She had never felt as loved as she did at that moment. She wanted to thank the three of them for supporting her so much at her weakest moment, but the words to do so just weren't in her vocabulary. Instead, she settled for an enormous grin.

"Come on then guys," she said, gesturing towards the wagon. "Let's go home."

**Sorry about **_**more**_** crazy drama, but it had to happen at some point :P**


	35. The Three Objectives

**Hey guys, I'm super sorry for the delayed post, but it's totally not my fault this time. I had the chapter ready to go last Monday, but our beloved fanfiction. net's server for posting stories has been down all week! (I've checked every day). Maybe it was just me, I don't know, but it wouldn't let me update :( So sorry again that this took so long and I hope you like the chapter!**

Spring was clearly on the horizon as they covered the last few miles of their journey. The snow melted completely and bright sun dried the mud as tiny shoots of grass began to poke their hopeful heads through the barren ground. Even the trees seemed fresh and new, and colorful buds decorated the spindly branches. They were only a week or so away from home if they traveled at their usual pace, but they moved slowly and Hanataro didn't complain. They lingered in a neighboring town for several days as Renji finally sold his ink to some very excited artists and loaded up on medicinal herbs only available in the far east.

"I'll make a killing on these up north," he told them as he filled the wagon with cloth bags bulging with dried leaves and spiky twigs. "They're always asking for this kind of stuff." He bought high quality sake with some of his profits and he and Karin spent the night before her birthday engaged in a raucous drinking game that left them both trashed, bruised, and incredibly content. The next morning Karin succumbed to the inevitable and declared that it was finally time to go home.

Karakura was, in its essence, a holy town. Dozens of Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples dotted the landscape, their red torii gates rising up between the homes like sacred trees. Well kept wooden fences taller than a man's head lined the narrow, quaint streets. Sakura, maple, and persimmon trees leaned over the gates, reaching out towards the cobblestone street below, refusing to be constrained by man-made structures. Scattered amidst the buildings were tiny kami houses decorated with folded paper chains and alters of incense and bowls of rice, paying homage to the guardians of the people. If you looked closely enough, you could almost see the kamis jumping out from behind corners or running playfully along rooftops. It was magical and romantic and the definition of peaceful.

"I can't _believe_ this is where you're from," Renji marveled, gawking at a ceramic raccoon family adorning someone's stoop. "How did a place like this produce someone like you?"

"I can't decide if that's a compliment or an insult," Karin grumbled. "But man, this place looks exactly the same. Look, Kyouraku still has that nasty straw hat and gaudy pink kimono hanging on his door."

"It's good to be home though," Hanataro said joyfully. He was in an incredibly good mood, the kind only the smell of one's hometown can produce.

"It's so pretty!" Orihime squealed, dancing up and down on Karin's shoulders.

"I'm glad you're happy at least," Karin said with a sigh, pinching her nose playfully. For some reason, coming home only reinforced the fact that Hitsugaya wasn't with them, and something inside Karin was aching. Suddenly, Hanataro gasped.

"Ojosama!" he exclaimed, a look of terror on his face. "What are you going to do about your three objectives?" Karin shrugged.

"Eh, I'll figure something out."

"Ojosama," Hanataro groaned.

It was late afternoon when they finally pulled up to Karin's house. Three wooden buildings surrounded a vast courtyard lined with sakura trees. There was a stable for horses and chickens, a main house for the family to live in, and an entire building devoted to the pharmacy, where thousands of medicinal herbs hung from the rafters in various states of desiccation. Hanataro saw with dismay that it was significantly less organized than it had been when they had left. Behind the main complex was a small cook house and a gazebo containing the family's ancestral tablets. Karin jumped out of the wagon and stretched.

"Ah, it's good to be home," she said with satisfaction. "Now where's that father of mine?" On cue, the front door burst open and a man appeared. He had a distinct five o'clock shadow, square jaw, and broader shoulders than a well bred ox.

"Karin!" he cried," racing towards her with outstretched arms. "Oh my loveliest, darlingest, joy of my life! Thank goodness you're…" his teary welcome was met with a foot in his face.

"Lay off it oyaji," Karin groaned, shaking a tooth out of her shoe. "I've been home for like thirty seconds and you're already glomping me."

"We have arrived safely and in good health, danna-sama," Hanataro said with a swift bow. "These are our traveling companions and friends, Abarai Renji and Inoue Orihime. This man is ojosama's father, Kusosaki Isshin-dono." Isshin gave them an enormous grin.

"Any friend of Karin and Hanataro's is a friend of mine. Welcome to our humble abode!" Orihime jumped delightedly, and Renji scratched his neck, obviously out of place.

"As instructed danna-sama," Hanataro continued, "we have returned today on ojosama's birthday."

"Ah, yes yes, happy birthday my sweet plum!" Isshin glowed, clasping his hands in glee. "And what a happy birthday it is! My daughter has returned after her epic adventure to discover the true meaning of her youth. It is an important journey in a person's life. Tell me, was it meaningful for you?" Karin felt that that was a rather loaded question considering she had been home for under a minute, and she wasn't entirely sure how to answer it. She had left her simple life in this serene town, where a day consisted mostly of sparring practice, for the dangers and unknowns of the world. Over the past year she had been drunk, attacked, robbed, drugged, and nearly raped. She had lost a fight, broken her swords, and almost froze to death. She had made friends, lost friends, and fallen in love with the most unusual and mysterious man she had ever met. Meaningful wasn't exactly the word she would use to describe her year, but, looking back on it under her father's expectant smile, she had to admit that it had been the best year of her life. But she wasn't about to tell her father that. Instead, she shrugged.

"It was ok," she said nonchalantly. Renji snickered. Isshin lifted Orihime onto his shoulder like a long lost granddaughter and invited them all inside, where he made a big to do of pouring tea.

"Oh Karin, by the way," he added, almost as an afterthought. "We have a guest." There was a crash and a man with straw colored hair and too many teeth practically fell into the room.

"Oya, welcome home Karin-san!" he grinned from under a wide brimmed hat. "I'm impressed you actually made it."

"Urahara-san!" Karin nearly choked on her tea. "What the heck are you doing here?" Urahara smiled widely, showing every single one of his teeth.

"I couldn't miss the unveiling. A treasure more valuable than gold is certainly worth seeing." Karin rolled her eyes. Meanwhile, Hanataro had scrambled up and lowered himself to the floor in a deep bow. Karin kicked him lightly.

"You're way too formal Nezumi-chan," she scolded.

"It's still a proper greeting," Hanataro insisted, sitting up. "Honestly, you really should learn some manners." Karin and Isshin both laughed.

"Oi," Renji whispered in Karin's ear. "Who's that?"

"The daimyo," Karin replied and Renji actually did choke.

"Well Karin," Isshin prompted when they were all done laughing at Renji's expense. "Why don't you show me your answers to the quest?" Hanataro bit his lip nervously, but Karin was unperturbed.

"Well, the poor sucker who gets to spend his life with me is that one," Karin began, jabbing a thumb at Renji. He only looked surprised for a split second before he grinned broadly as if this was the most flattering introduction Karin could have offered. "You'll like him oyaji. He's damn good with a sword." Isshin scrutinized Renji carefully, sizing him up, and Renji was startled by the intense heat of his glare.

"Eh, Karin's a great girl," he said lamely, rubbing the back of his neck. Isshin turned back to Karin without comment, and Renji and Hanataro exchanged worried glances. Orihime gazed up at Renji with awe but thankfully didn't say anything.

"Next," Karin continued, "is this." She reached into the bottom of her bag and extracted the katana made from the dancing rocks, the one Renji hadn't sold. "No metal can touch this sword. It's so strong I refuse to use it. There is no better weapon in the country, I assure you." Isshin drew the sword and examined the blade carefully, again without comment. He sheathed it and put it aside.

"And as for the treasure…" Karin paused before reluctantly removing Matsumoto's kimono from her bag. The lifelike wildlife and radiant colors were as magnificent as ever, but Karin couldn't help feeling a mixture of pain and regret as she thought about the woman who had given it to her and the man she was supposed to wear it for. Matsumoto had said that the kimono represented hope and happiness, but all Karin felt was guilt and grief.

"This kimono has a lot of history to it," she said at last, her voice as lifeless as a dead fish. "It means a lot to a lot of people. And the kimono itself is a priceless work of art. I think that's more valuable than gold, don't you oyaji?" Karin looked up at her father and was startled to see that he was frowning. Isshin carefully considered the sword and kimono, then looked pointedly at Renji, Orihime, and Hanataro before settling his gaze on Karin.

"I'm disappointed," he said with a sigh. "It seems to have yet to grasp the true meaning of your journey." Karin's jaw dropped. She jumped to her feet, thoroughly outraged.

"How _dare_ you?" she screamed. "You have _no idea_ what I went through this year! You have no right to say anything about it!" And with that she stormed out of the room, slamming the door so hard she cracked the wooden frame.

**So now that you know who the daimyo is, I owe Moon of Jupiter and thorned. sunflower' cookies!**

**I went to Kyoto while I was in Japan, and my description of Karakura in this fic is essentially my depiction of Kyoto. It is officially my favorite city on Earth. It's so beautiful and peaceful and spiritual, and I loved it so much I just had to put it in here. So there it is :)**


	36. Too Many Surprises

**Ok, so after all the craziness of the last few weeks, what with fanfic. net going down and all, I think I can finally get back on track! Yay! So the schedule should resume as normal starting today. There isn't much left, but there will still be a couple more chapters, so stay tuned! Again, thanks for being patient with the website malfunctioning (although I'm not sure how patient you actually were :D)**

Karin was so furious at her father that she refused to speak to him. She spent her time sparring Renji with crazed fervor, as if all that mattered in the whole world was the clashing of their blades. Hanataro immersed himself in straightening up the pharmacy, a daunting project that took him the better part of a month. He kept one watchful eye on Karin as she ruthlessly attacked Renji, ready to intervene if necessary. But Renji was still stronger than her, much to Karin's irritation, and defended himself admirably. Karin had yet to defeat him, and it seemed that her rage wouldn't be quelled until she did.

Meanwhile, Orihime explored Karakura, capturing the hearts of everyone in town. When she wasn't busy gathering admirers, she tailed Hanataro like a shadow and he taught her about all the herbs he was organizing, where they came from, and how they were used. Orihime listened with rapt attention. Hanataro was embarrassed yet pleased by her willingness to learn.

"She's gonna be a right little doctor when you're done with her," Renji joked one afternoon as he and Karin took a break. Hanataro had just pulled out a rare flower and Orihime was ogling it with fascination.

"It's good for her to get an education," Karin said, wiping sweat from her brow. "But that aside, Renji, what are you still doing here?" Renji shrugged.

"Acting as your stress reliever." Karin glared at him.

"Just so you know, I have no intention of actually marrying you." Renji pouted.

"Really?" he whined. "'Cause I was kinda hoping that…oof." Karin drew her elbow out of his gut.

"Don't get smart with me," she snapped. "Anyway, I'm grateful to you and everything for being my fiancé stand in, and frankly I'm liking the sparring partner, but you don't know my dad like I do. He's liable to wake up one morning and decide that it's a good day for a wedding. I don't want to get caught up in that mess."

"So you're kicking me out?" Renji said with a laugh. "After all we've been through, that's how you're treating me? I'm a little hurt." Karin raised an incredulous eyebrow and Renji chuckled.

"Besides," he added. "Who's gonna receive your wrath if I leave? I don't really think chibi-chan's up to it." Hanataro shuttered involuntarily at the thought.

"I'm not kicking you out," Karin explained, casting a glare in Hanataro's direction, who had the decency to shrink away with shame. "I'm just warning you, oyaji's a nutcase. He sent me a letter that cast me out of the house for a year, remember?"

"I remember," Renji replied. "But I'm kinda enjoying being a mooch for now." Karin sighed.

"Whatever. I'm thirsty. Be right back." After she left, Hanataro turned to Renji.

"You don't really want to marry her, do you?" he asked. Renji grinned secretively.

"And if I did?" Hanataro's eyes opened wide and Renji laughed.

"Kidding, kidding man. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love her to death, but I think even I'd have trouble keeping up with a girl like that. You feel the same way don't you?" Hanataro's blush was all the answer Renji needed. "Naw, I'm just sticking around so I can see the look on Toushiro's face when Karin decapitates him." Hanataro sighed fondly.

"You also think he'll come back?" Renji grinned.

"Nothing in heaven or hell could keep those two apart. I've never seen a couple more suited for each other. That is, if Karin doesn't kill him the second he shows his face." Hanataro groaned.

"I'm not really looking forward to that," he said painfully.

"Looking forward to what?" Karin asked, leaning on the doorframe. Hanataro failed miserably at inventing a cover story, but luckily Renji took charge.

"Our next bout!" he said cheerily, wrapping an arm around Karin's shoulder and leading her into the courtyard. "Let's get to it!"

oooooooooooooooo

Spring rolled in, sweeping across Karakura with a wave of color. Pink sakura petals, white persimmon flowers, and red camellia blossoms showered the town in a fragrant rainbow. Karin's courtyard was an explosion of pale pink and Orihime squealed with delight as she pranced around amidst the raining confetti.

One morning, as the family and freeloaders sat down for breakfast, an enormous bang erupted from the courtyard.

"What the…" Renji asked, startled, but he was answered by a loud voice.

"Oi, oyaji, I'm home!"

"Ichi-nii!" Karin exclaimed, racing out of the house to greet Ichigo and Rukia. "What are you doing here? It's a little early for you to visit isn't it?" Ichigo laughed and clapped her on the shoulder.

"What are you talking about?" he asked joyfully. "I'm not about to miss the wedding!"

"Wedding?" Karin asked, confused. "What wedding?" Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

"Um, yours," he replied as if it was totally obvious. "Actually, I'm kinda glad you picked Renji over that creepy guy. He was a bit strange if you ask me. But…"

"Who said I'm getting married?" Karin interrupted. "Who said I chose Renji? What…?"

"Oh, I've been meaning to tell you Karin," her father cut in, an enormous grin plastered on his face. 'I scheduled your wedding for tomorrow. I sent Ichigo and Rukia-chan a letter to let them know and I…"

"WHAT?" Karin thundered. "How _dare_ you plan my wedding without my knowledge? Damn it, I _knew_ you'd pull something like this. Have you lost your mind?" Orihime hid behind Hanataro, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire.

"But Karin," Isshin whined, pouting madly. "I thought you'd be happy. You and Renji-san seem to get along so well and…"

"Who said I wanted to marry Renji?" she screamed, pointing an accusatory finger at the man in question.

"You did," Renji reminded her. Karin rolled her eyes.

"Oh please, who'd want to marry you?" Renji laughed.

"Tough break man. Better luck next time." All eyes turned to the door to the courtyard, which Ichigo had left wide open, to gape at the unexpected speaker.

"Ikkaku?" Karin and Renji exclaimed in astonishment.

"Don't forget about us!" Yumichka sang, popping up behind his friend. Karin gaped as every member of the elevens trouped into the courtyard like it was the most natural thing in the world for them to show up unannounced, en mass, in the utterly harmless town of Karakura.

"Don't tell me oyaji invited you guys too?" Karin groaned. "Wait, he doesn't know them. Renji!" She shot him an accusatory glare. Renji held up his hands defensively.

"Hey, don't blame me," he protested. "I know as much about this wedding as you do."

"Then why…?" Karin began, but her voice died in her throat as another man entered the courtyard. A man she knew all too well.

"I brought them," Hitsugaya said. Karin's face went from surprise to outrage so fast it was as if she ripped a mask off. She marched right up to him, drawing her swords as she went. Hitsugaya stood his ground, holding his head high and planting his feet firmly, making no motion to defend himself against whatever onslaught Karin was about to deal. Karin paused, blades inches from his throat.

"What are you doing here Toushiro?" she spat, her voice laced with venom. Hitsugaya matched her stare, his face solid and confident.

"I found Aizen," he stated matter-of-factly. "I want to bring him down." Karin's grip on her swords tightened.

"And?" she hissed. Hitsugaya looked her dead in the eye.

"And if I want to capture him alive, I'm going to need your help." Karin took a second to process his statement, then her rage melted faster than an ice sculpture in a bonfire. She dropped her swords, allowing them to clatter unceremoniously to the ground as she jumped at Hitsugaya, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her lips to his in a moment of unbridled passion. She could almost feel the relief wash over him as he overcame his shock at her sudden movement and kissed back.

"Ow ow!" Ikkaku catcalled. Renji whistled at them and all the elevens broke into raucous applause. Karin and Hitsugaya drew apart, blushing at the realization that everyone they knew was watching, but grinning madly nonetheless.

"It's about damn time," Renji cheered, slapping Hitsugaya on the back. Orihime dashed out and leapt at Hitsugaya, who lifted her up high as she squealed with delight. Hanataro was moved to tears.

"Ojosama's all grown up," he gushed, wiping his eyes with his sleeve, his face glowing with pride. "It's finally happened." Yumichka patted his shoulder comfortingly. Isshin looked suspiciously less perturbed than he should have been at all this, and instead was nodding his approval, as if he knew all along that Karin's affections lay somewhere besides Renji. Rukia tried to hold Ichigo back as he attempted to draw his sword, but there were too many people between him and Hitsugaya for his outbursts of irritation to be heard anyway. Karin sought Matsumoto out of the crowd and called her over.

"Matsumoto-san," she began. "I'm really, really sorry for…" but the rest of her apology was lost as Matsumoto embraced her in a bone crushing hug.

"From now on," Matsumoto told her, her face radiant, "you are my sister." Karin grinned widely.

"Thanks," she replied and Matsumoto beamed at her. Karin turned back to Hitsugaya as he returned Orihime to the ground.

"Seriously though," she said, her face still lit with laughter. "Why'd you have to bring the whole crew here?" Hitsugaya's face became stunningly grave.

"I told you I found Aizen right?" Karin nodded. "Well, that's not entirely true, but the Shinigami are quite picky about which villages they chose to target, and since I used to be a member, I'm privy to many of their strategy secrets and I know how Aizen thinks. I know, with absolute confidence, which village he's targeting next." Karin swallowed hard.

"And it is?" she asked, almost afraid to hear the answer. Hitsugaya met her gaze and confirmed her fear.

"This one," he replied. "Tonight."

**Kudos if you saw this coming!**


	37. The Calm Before the Storm

**I'm posting a bit early this week to make up for the last few weeks of missing chapters. Enjoy!**

A dense mood enveloped the watching crowd as this news settled in.

"Who's Aizen?" Ichigo asked, but no one bothered to answer him.

"Oi, are you sure?" Renji asked warily. ""Cause that's a big assumption. If you're wrong…"

"I'm not wrong," Hitsugaya interrupted. "Kid, go check your water." Hanataro looked confused for only a moment before he realized what was going on and disappeared into the pharmacy. The crowd waited with baited breath. Hanataro returned several minutes later, white faced.

"Bloodwort poison," he said hoarsely. "It's laced with bloodwort poison." Hitsugaya nodded.

"High fever and lethargy, Aizen's favorite incapacitating symptoms. Everyone will start feeling it around midday and the attack will begin at sunset. By dawn the town will be razed and not a soul will be left alive.

"But why?" Hanataro asked pathetically. "Why Karakura? There's nothing here. Just some shrines and flowers."

"That's why," Hitsugaya replied. "Aizen doesn't choose high profile cities as his targets. That's how he's evaded the law for so long. He also doesn't care much for big battles or looting, he just has an insatiable bloodlust. If he attacked stronger towns with people who could actually fight back, then that would ruin his fun. Karakura is a perfect target."

"Is everyone going to die?" Orihime asked fearfully, clutching tightly to Hitsugaya's kimono. He gave her a reassuring smile.

"No," he said confidently. "Everything's going to be ok. But we're going to need your help." He reached into his bag and pulled out a plant with miniscule leaves and vibrant yellow flowers. "This is called…"

"Eyebright!" Orihime finished for him excitedly. Hitsugaya looked impressed.

"I guess the kid's been teaching you something. Good for you. Now, eyebright is vital to the antidote for bloodwort, so we're going to need a whole bunch of it. Think you can get some for me?" Orihime beamed at him.

"Leave it to me!" she declared and dashed off to go flower picking. Hitsugaya turned to Hanataro.

"We're going to need antidote. A lot of it."

"Of course," Hanataro agreed, returning to the pharmacy. Isshin heaved a huge sigh.

"Guess I'll go help with that," he said, following Hanataro. "Sounds pretty serious."

"Renji," Hitsugaya continued. "Can you spread the word in town? We need everyone to evacuate as a precaution. I want this town empty before lunch."

"I'm on it," Renji nodded.

"I'll come with you," Rukia said. "I know the town pretty well." Renji grinned at her.

"Thanks." Hitsugaya turned to Ichigo next.

"W…What?" Ichigo had turned slightly green, as if all this was too much to process so fast.

"I want to capture these freaks with as little bloodshed as possible, but in order to do that, I need to know that they'll be arrested as soon as we've got them rounded up. Is there a way you can arrange that?" Ichigo seemed to return to his senses and he puffed up his chest like the proud officer he was.

"Just who do you think you're talking to? Consider them arrested." Urahara smiled pensively.

"I believe I can be of assistance there," he said, rubbing his chin. "I do happen to know several of the local officials." Ichigo grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah, I guess you do."

"Thanks," Hitsugaya said. "And Ikkaku, frankly you're much better at strategy than I am, so you think you can devise an attack plan for tonight?" Ikkaku grinned maniacally.

"It would be my pleasure."

"Thanks man. Ok people, let's get to work." The elevens scattered amongst themselves to assemble weapons and discuss strategy. Karin approached Hitsugaya.

"You're a right little leader," she teased.

"Only when I have to be." Karin chuckled.

"Come on." She beckoned towards the house. "There's something I want to give you." Hitsugaya followed her inside. Karin rummaged around in an unkempt pile of her belongings.

"So how did you find me?" she asked as she searched.

"Well, Karakura isn't that large a town," Hitsugaya explained. "The elevens and I were on the lookout when we heard you screaming. I think you should be a little more considerate of your neighbors." Karin laughed.

"They're used to it. Ah, here it is." Karin extracted a long, elegant sword from the bottom of her pile. Hitsugaya recognized it instantly. It was the magnetite sword, the untouchable blade forged from the dancing rocks that they had worked so hard to procure.

"I want you to have this," Karin said, presenting him with the sword." Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow.

"Any particular reason?" Karin shrugged.

"It's a damn good sword," she suggested. "But, seriously, I want you to take it. Going into this fight tonight without drawing a sword seems to me to be utter suicide, and I think I prefer you alive. But I just thought that this would be a good reminder that, just as this sword can't touch metal, in your hands it can't touch flesh either." Hitsugaya considered her words.

"That's very philosophical of you," he noted. Karin blushed.

"Shut up! I can sound intelligent when I want to."

"Yeah, but sounding intelligent and being intelligent are two very different things."

"You!" Karin cried, trying and failing to hide her smile. And suddenly, everything felt right with the world. All the tension and anxiety was gone and they were fooling around just as they had before everything fell apart. The two lovers gazed at each other as they never had before. Hitsugaya approached her and placed a hand on her cheek.

"Karin," he said gently. "When all this is over, and Aizen is where he should be, and everything is back to normal, will you marry me?"

"Are things ever normal for us?" Hitsugaya smirked.

"You know, you're still a jerk," Karin scolded. Hitsugaya nodded.

"Yeah, I know. But you love me anyway." Karin furrowed her eyebrows, but she couldn't maintain her mock anger for long. A strong grin crawled across her face.

"Ok, I guess I can marry you." Hitsugaya leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her lips. He stroked her cheek tenderly and they pressed their foreheads together, simply enjoying each other's presence.

"Oi!" Ikkaku called from outside. "If you two are done making out in there, I could use some help." Karin snickered.

"Can't get a damn bit of privacy around here can we?" she said playfully. Hitsugaya smirked.

"Come on, let's go help."

oooooooooooooooooo

The rest of the day passed quickly. Too quickly. Renji and Rukia managed to calmly evacuate all the citizens. They hid in a thick grove nearby. By lunchtime, many were already feverish from the poison, but Hanataro and Isshin had produced a substantial amount of antidote, thanks to Orihime's help, and they treated everyone with symptoms and distributed prophylactic doses to everyone else. They also went about neutralizing the poison in the drinking water. Ichigo and Urahara sent urgent messengers to nearby military outposts asking for resources and backup. Aizen was a wanted criminal and the chance to put him away appealed to many. Ikkaku and Hitsugaya worked on a strategy while Karin and the rest of the elevens sharpened weapons and made preparations.

As the hour grew late, Ikkaku called a strategy meeting and everyone gathered in the Kurosaki's courtyard to review the plan.

"What are you doing here?" Renji asked Rukia, who had joined them. "Why didn't you stay with the evacuees like Orihime?" Rukia put a hand on her hip.

"What, a girl can't fight? Karin and Matsumoto-san are here."

"Yeah, but…" Renji stuttered, confused. "I just, well, I didn't think you could." Rukia smirked.

"You're not the only one who learned to fight after you ditched town. I _am_ married to Karin's brother, remember. He taught me a thing or two."

"If you two are finished," Ikkaku butt in, "I'm gonna' get started. Now, accordin' to Toushiro here, them Shinigami ain't ones for sneekin' in the back door, so they're gonna come ridin' in along the main road. Once they hit the town, there's no tellin' what kinda damage they can cause, so we're gonna stage the main event just beyond city limits. I'll scatter y'all in hiding spots around the area. Our signal this time's gonna be ol' Nezumi-chan. He's gonna park himself on a rooftop and act as an archer, you know, try and take out some of the front line for us. When his needles hit, that's your cue and all hell breaks loose. Now, Toushiro here says the Shinigami usually limit themselves to fifteen or so, and that most of them are rusty 'cause they don't actually get ta' fight for real very often, so with our numbers and talent I think we got this. So, y'all up for the fight of your lives?" Everyone cheered their affirmation. "Then let's bring 'em down!"

ooooooooooooooooooo

Everyone got into position and waited as dusk settled in around them. The deafening din of the cicadas only heightened the sense of nervous anticipation that smothered them like a thick fog. Karin and Hitsugaya hid together, behind a delicate kami house where they had a perfect view of what Yumichka had taken to calling, "center stage for tonight's performance." Hitsugaya stared into the darkness. All his senses were on high alert and Karin could feel his anxiety radiating out of him. He curled and uncurled the fingers of his free hand nervously. The other rested firmly on the hilt of the magnetite blade. Karin took a deep breath and clasped his hand in her own, giving it a comforting squeeze.

"The calm before the storm is always the worst," she said gently. "You'll be fine once you start fighting."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Hitsugaya muttered. "I never freeze up when I'm fighting nowadays, but Aizen, he's different. Do you think I stayed with him all those years because I _wanted_ to? He just has this way, this air about him. You can't go against him. You have to obey him. It's like magic."

"But you didn't," Karin countered. "You've already fought against him. Twice." Hitsugaya sighed.

"I'm afraid of that too," he admitted. "That I may snap the second I engage him and forget who I am. I say I don't want to break my vow and that I want to capture him alive, and that's true, but that's when I'm standing here with you, thinking clearly. That man, he brings out the worst in me. I'm rarely rational around him, and the fact that you're fighting with me…" He trailed off and took a shaky breath. "That man, he stole everything from me once. I still blame my father for sending me away, but he wouldn't have had to do that if Aizen hadn't raided my village in the first place. When I finally succeeded in decimating the Shinigami, he took the only person I cared about in the whole world and held her hostage. This time…" Karin waited patiently, knowing he wasn't done.

"This time, I care about everyone joining the fight. Everyone going into battle is a potential hostage. I couldn't have imagined saying something like that a year ago, but it's true. And the thought of losing those I love again…I don't think I could handle it." Karin squeezed his hand again.

"Everyone here knows exactly what they're fighting for and are prepared for this," she assured him. "It's not like last time. When you fight together, you are stronger for it." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

"No matter what happens tonight, we're going to get through this. Together." Hitsugaya nodded. He still seemed extraordinarily tense, but his shoulders had relaxed ever so slightly. They stiffened again as a new sound was added to the night; horse's hooves. The Shinigami had arrived.

**That's probably my worst cliffhanger in the whole story, so I apologize for that :P**


	38. The Weight of Eternity

**And now, the moment you've all been waiting for…**

Karin held her breath. The Shinigami stopped their horses and dismounted and Karin could smell the distinctive odor of lit torches as fire illuminated a group of twenty odd mangy, scruffy ragamuffins. Although she had never met him, Karin had no difficulty picking out Aizen. He led the pack, head held high and confident, clothes much better maintained then the rest. But what stuck out the most for Karin wasn't his outfit; it was his face. Even in the dark it nauseated her. White and wizened, it looked like wet, moldy cheese that had been plastered across a wind-worn skull. He had no nose and was completely bald, which only heightened his resemblance to a rotting corpse. A simple black eye patch covered what used to be his left eye socket. Beside her, Hitsugaya went rigid, and Karin wondered for a moment if he was having a seizure.

"Bit quiet, dontcha' think?" one of the Shinigami noted. Suddenly, Aizen's hand whipped in front of his throat and snapped shut so fast Karin barely saw him move. Three of the men beside him collapsed. In Aizen's fingertips a sliver of silver reflected the flickering firelight; Hanataro's needle, which Aizen had managed to snatch out of thin air before it reached it him. War had been declared.

A fierce battle cry cut through the air as everyone tore out of their hiding spots and ambushed the Shinigami where they stood. They were certainly surprised, but only for a moment. They were warriors and gleefully took the challenge, flailing their swords ruthlessly and wildly. Ikkaku took on two at once, whooping excitedly. Yumichka and Kira double teamed a man twice their size who had a boulder shaped head, and used their lithe bodies to their advantage as they leapt around him, too fast for him to respond. Zaraki slashed through the crowd at random, searching for a worthy opponent as Yachiru cheered him on. Matsumoto and Rukia went back to back, taking on challengers as they came. Ichigo engaged a skinny, pale man with electric green eyes. They were evenly matched, the two narrowly missing slicing each other to shreds. Urahara looked utterly bored as he defended attacks from all sides, with only a single hand that moved so quickly it was difficult to see. Isshin jumped from fight to fight, too restless to stay in one place too long. Karin and Hitsugaya went through opponent after opponent, trying to reach Aizen, who was the only one not fighting. The Shinigami had formed an impenetrable phalanx around him and no one seemed to be able to touch him.

Renji was in the midst of a ferocious fight with a blue haired man who had the face of a wild cat when he saw, out of the corner of his eye, someone rush at Rukia, sword held high, poised for disembowelment. Without thinking, he abandoned his fight and leapt between Rukia and her pursuer. Rukia shrieked as the man's sword swung down, threatening to slice Renji clean in half. But Renji was deft and strong, and managed to deflect most of the man's attack. The tip of his sword grazed Renji's cheek, leaving a deep gash, but he quickly retaliated with a hard smack to the back of the man's head, and he crumpled to the ground.

"You alright Rukia?" Renji asked, beaming despite the blood pouring down his face. Rukia cast around desperately for the words to scold him and thank him at the same time, but nothing came out except random babbling. Renji tipped an imaginary hat at her and dashed off screaming like a banshee to resume his original fight.

The interesting thing was, for all their mass destructive force, only a few of the Shinigami were decent fighters. Most of them were cannon fodder for Aizen, bloodthirsty bullies who fed off Aizen's strength and prowess but had very few skills themselves. Since they specifically chose peaceful, harmless villages to attack, very few of their victims had ever stood up to them, and even when they did it was usually only one or two desperate farmers against a horde of savages. They had never faced a well-trained army like this. There were injuries on both sides, but it was obvious who the victor was. One by one the Shinigami began to fall as the significantly more talented protectors of Karakura displayed their strength and experience to the maximum.

"Well done taicho-chan." The last Shinigami had fallen and Aizen appeared through the settling dust and burning embers of dropped torches. "Once again, you've managed to decimate the Shinigami. Your talent never ceases to amaze me." Everyone tensed and readied their swords, prepared to attack as one, but Hitsugaya stopped them.

"Stay back!" he commanded, with all the intensity of a true leader. His eyes narrowed poisonously, like a mad dog honed in on his prey. "He's mine." Everyone exchanged glances and, with mutual agreement, backed off to form a ring around the two. Aizen smiled callously and, without warning, he attacked. Hitsugaya barely had time to react, but even years of disuse couldn't dull his sharpened instincts. At the last instant he managed to draw his sword and deflect Aizen's onslaught. Aizen's sword slipped off the magnetite blade like slick butter, but Aizen was undeterred and launched a series of brutal attacks that Hitsugaya just barely managed to dodge.

"I see your skills are as perfect as ever," Aizen observed as he swung ruthlessly. "Just what I would expect from my star pupil. Yet you and that whore have challenged me a third time. Your stupidity was one thing I never did manage to beat out of you." Hitsugaya sidled sidewise and avoided another thrust.

"How did you survive?" he demanded. Aizen smirked and renewed his attack.

"Did you really think something like a fire could destroy me so easily? In your arrogance, you failed to ensure that your target was dead. Gin's body shielded me from the worst of the flames. Truly useful, that one, right up until his death. A true Shinigami." Their swords locked and they pushed off one another, landing several feet apart. They began to circle each other like menacing panthers poised to strike.

"But you," Aizen continued darkly. "You were my successor, and yet you have gone soft. You let your enemy live. Last time, you had no qualms whatsoever about killing those who stood in your way, but this time you left everyone alive. Tell me, did you learn that from your new friends?" Hitsugaya's eyes exploded in rage and a smile slid across Aizen's face.

"Yes!" he cried as he lit up with a deranged ecstasy. "Those are the eyes I want. You haven't forgotten us after all. Once a Shinigami, always a Shinigami. You know that better than anyone don't you?" Hitsugaya blood was boiling over with hatred and he tightened his grip on his sword as his breathing became rapid and thick.

"Toushiro!" Karin shouted from the sidelines, petrified of the look on his face and his potential reaction to Aizen's goading. Aizen glanced at Karin slyly and stopped walking.

"Do you remember, taicho, the difference between a living man and a dead one?" Hitsugaya considered his answer, but decided to take the bait.

"Twenty one ounces," he replied dutifully. Aizen nodded.

"Exactly. Which means you wouldn't mind if I kill this." In the blink of an eye, Aizen spun around and jabbed Karin hard in the stomach. Karin faltered and her body went limp, but Aizen caught her and held her close to him, his sword resting on her throat.

"Karin!" Hitsugaya yelped as everyone else gasped and reached for their weapons. Aizen had a spectacularly triumphant grin on his face.

"Let her go!" Hitsugaya demanded.

"Now now taicho, I hardly think that you are in a position to be giving orders," Aizen scolded, clearly enjoying this situation immensely. "Now, why don't you all drop your weapons?" A trickle of crimson ran down Aizen's sword, visible even in the dark night and there was a clattering as swords dropped from everyone's hands. Hitsugaya thought his heart had stopped. Not again! His head was screaming out in protest as he cast around for something to do. He had been able to deal with Matsumoto as a hostage because she had been conscious. But Karin had clearly been knocked out by Aizen's strike, and one ill-timed move from anyone else and she was dead. He felt utterly helpless and defeated. Once again, he was an eight year old boy, standing numbly at the edge of his burning village, being whipped, literally, into blind obedience by this man who had changed the course of his entire life. He could even feel the scars on his back begin to burn.

"Well, now doesn't this feel familiar?" Aizen said reminiscently, his smirk growing wider. "You still allow me to disarm you over a single woman. Tell me, is her twenty one ounces really that valuable to you? It's really just not that important. It seems that life has taught you nothing."

"You are the one who knows nothing!" Before anyone could react, Karin had ducked out of her confines and twisted Aizen's arms behind his back, bringing him to his knees and successfully trapping him in a painful headlock.

"People are nothing more than shogi pieces to you, aren't they?" she spat, thoroughly disgusted. "You're sick." Hitsugaya allowed himself a half second of relief that she had only been feigning unconsciousness, then he jumped forward, yanked his sword off the ground, and swung it downwards, pausing a hair's breadth from the grotesque flesh on Aizen's neck. Aizen looked up at Hitsugaya, a bemused smirk on his scarred mouth.

"Going to kill me taicho?" he asked rhetorically. "You've always wanted to. Now's your chance. Go on," he taunted. "Do it." Hitsugaya was breathing heavily and he broke out in a cold sweat despite the warm evening. His mind was shrieking at him to finish it. To kill him and rid the world of this horrific evil. The hands on his sword itched like they never had before. It would be so easy. Just one blow…

"Hitsugaya Toushiro!" Karin said sternly. "Remember who you are." Karin's words ripped Hitsugaya harshly back to reality. Collecting his composure, he looked down at the man he hated more than any other.

"Do you know," Hitsugaya said powerfully, "the difference between a living man and a dead one?" Aizen's smile was disturbingly delighted.

"Enlighten me." Hitsugaya clasped his sword tighter, his eyes never leaving Aizen's face.

"The weight of eternity. Kid!" Hanataro took his cue and in less than a second, Aizen's entire body was littered with needles. His greedy eye lost its sharp gleam. Karin finally released him and he lolled forward, his crazed smile still plastered on his mutilated lips.

For a moment no one spoke. Finally, Karin broke the silence.

"You did it Toushiro!" she exclaimed jubilantly. "You got him." Hitsugaya was too numb and shaken to reply. He managed to nod his head before he pitched forward and collapsed in an unconscious heap.

**It's not over just yet, so hang on tight. Next week should be the last one.**


	39. Let's Do It

**Ok, this is actually it. Last chapter.**

Hitsugaya awoke to sunlight pouring in through the windows, catching particles of dust in their ethereal beams. The futon he lay on was incredibly comfortable and, for a moment, Hitsugaya simply took pleasure in the fact that he was safe, relaxed, and alive. The door opened and Hitsugaya's day brightened even more. Standing there, looking exhausted but relieved, was Karin. She had a bandage around her neck where Aizen had cut her, but was otherwise uninjured. Her face lit up when she saw his eyes were open.

"You're awake!" she cried, rushing over to him and flinging her arms around him. "You idiot, I was so worried about you. I thought you were poisoned or something. Nezumi-chan said you weren't but you wouldn't move." Hitsugaya shook his head.

"I'm not poisoned," he assured her. "Just drained. So Aizen…"

"Is in irons in a high security prison and awaiting trial with the rest of the Shinigami," Karin answered his unasked question. "Ichi-nii saw to that last night. Nezumi-chan's needles worked great. I don't know what he used this time, but Aizen is still unconscious. Nezumi-chan said he won't wake up for a couple of days at least." Hitsugaya sighed happily.

"And everyone else?" Karin grinned.

"Why don't you see for yourself? Hey guys!" she called. "Toushiro's awake!" Within seconds the room was packed to the rafters as people fought tooth and nail to get inside. And it wasn't just the elevens. It seemed the entire population of Karakura was there, vying for a space near his futon. Somehow, Orihime managed to worm her way though and scrambled into Hitsugaya's lap, and he gave her a huge hug.

"What's going on?" he asked, confused by the mass of humanity.

"Well, you did save the town," Hanataro answered, finally managing to get to the front of the throng. "If you hadn't tipped us off about Aizen, we'd all be dead now. They came to thank you."

"There's the little hero!" Renji teased, appearing beside Hanataro. "Man, the girls in town won't shut up about you. You've really become Mr. Popular you know that?"

"He's taken," Karin stated soundly, and everybody laughed.

"Renji, your face!" Hitsugaya pointed at the long gash across Renji's cheek. It had cut him almost to the bone and would certainly leave a scar. Renji shrugged.

"Battle scars are sexy," he said nonchalantly. "Besides," he lowered his voice so only they could hear. "Saving Rukia was worth it." Karin rolled her eyes.

"Just because you're her knight in shining armor doesn't mean she's going to leave my brother."

"I didn't say she was," Renji defended. "But she's still a childhood friend right?" Karin sighed.

"Anyway, we have to celebrate our victory!" Renji declared. "How 'bout we have a wedding?" Hitsugaya blushed and Karin laughed, that innocent joyous laugh that only appears when one truly feels at peace with the world.

"Oyaji!" she shouted to the crowd.

"Over here peach blossom!" he replied from the back of the room. After much pushing, elbowing, and apologizing, he finally managed to reach them. "What is it sweet pea?"

"I've changed my mind," Karin told him. "About my three objectives."

"Oh?" Isshin said curiously. "Do tell."

"First," she began, "there's Renji. Strong as an ox, wilder than me, and the only man ever to beat me in a fair fight. I'd say that someone you can trust implicitly in battle is a weapon more powerful than lightning, don't you think?" Renji scratched the back of his neck.

"Well damn, I didn't know you felt that way about me." Karin grinned as everyone laughed.

"Second," she continued, "is Orihime. No matter where or when, no matter how bad the situation is or how broken and beaten I am, she always manages to make me smile. Someone who can brighten your spirits simply by existing is, in my opinion, a treasure more valuable than gold.

"And as for the man who will be my partner for the rest of my days…" she turned to Hanataro and gave him an affectionate smile. "Nezumi-chan, you're clumsy and naggy and the biggest worry wart I've ever met, but you're loyal to a fault and I trust you with my life, and I know, that even in my darkest hour, when I've hit absolute rock bottom, that you'll always be there to pull me back up. Until my dying breath." Hanataro flushed deep purple and Renji elbowed him in the ribs.

"And now," Karin finished, "Toushiro and I want to get married." The room burst into applause and cheers and Isshin nodded his approval.

"It appears," he said proudly, "that you have finally understood the purpose of your journey. So let's have a wedding!" The crowd cheered even louder and everyone came forward to offer Hitsugaya and Karin thanks and congratulations.

ooooooooooooooooo

The rest of the day was a blur of preparations. The wedding was doubling as a celebration for the saviors of Karakura, so the whole town was involved. Delicious smells of stewed fish, red bean rice, and floral tea permeated the air. People ran everywhere, gathering candles and flowers to decorate Karakura's largest shrine, which was chosen as the location since it was the only place in town that could accommodate so many guests.

Matsumoto and Rukia managed to lock Karin in a room with them for a full three hours, from which she emerged scrubbed, perfumed, and coated in make up, decked out in Matsumoto's sky blue kimono of hope and happiness. Renji asked her honestly who she was when he saw her, but a swift punch to the gut answered that question. Isshin lent Hitsugaya a formal black kimono and when the couple stood side by side, they discovered that they were actually quite an attractive pair when they weren't all grungy.

The wedding was held at twilight and the party afterwards lasted until the wee hours of the morning. Sake flowed like water and more food appeared than at any New Year's festival. Various musicians took turns playing so there was constant music. Matsumoto picked up a samisen for the first time in years and sang a jaunty love ballad that Hitsugaya had never heard her play before.

Even nature seemed to be cooperating. The night was clear and pleasantly temperate. Fireflies danced about, providing extra decorations as they flew amongst the Chinese lanterns. Sakura petals and plum flowers continued to fall, playing in the gentle breeze and adorning the floor with lovely pink carpeting. The frogs and cicadas assisted the band, adding a rustic, peaceful soundtrack of their own composition.

The sun was poking its radiant head between the trees on the eastern horizon when the party finally died down enough that Karin and Hitsugaya had a chance to sit down together.

"Ah, it's so nice to be off my feet!" Karin declared, fanned herself with her hand. Her face was flushed from sake, dancing, and laughing, but she seemed serene, and happier than Hitsugaya had ever seen her.

"You look enchanting," he told her flatly. Karin raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" she asked incredulously. "Enchanting? I never thought I'd hear you say that. Don't go changing on me now that we're married." Hitsugaya smirked. Enchanting was an understatement in his opinion. She was radiant and extraordinary and Hitsugaya still couldn't believe his good fortune that someone like him had ended up with someone like her.

"Thank you," he said.

"Huh?" Karin wondered. "For what?"

"For…everything. But also for last night. If you hadn't stopped me, I might have…" he trailed off, but he didn't need to finish. Karin placed an understanding hand on his arm.

"We're a team now," she said tenderly. "Now and forever. I'll always be there for you and you have to promise never to skip out on me again." Hitsugaya smirked and leaned forward to kiss his wife's lips.

"I promise."

"Hey hey hey, what's goin' on over here?" Renji chided, appearing at their side, Hanataro and Orihime in tow. "Save that stuff for later."

"Renji!" Karin yelped as she and Hitsugaya both blushed. Renji laughed gleefully and plopped himself down beside them. Hanataro's face had a healthy red sheen from the single cup of sake he had been coerced into drinking and Orihime looked exhausted but wide awake. Sitting there, in the early morning light, with the people who had gone through so much with her, Karin truly felt that this ragtag team of misfits and roamers had become a family. She loved each and every one of them more than she could say and her heart filled with a warm glow she couldn't even begin to express. A year ago, she had left home with nothing but her swords and bitter attitude. If someone had told her then that she would one day have a family of her own making, whom she would do anything for and love with every fiber of her being, she would have laughed at them. She felt a rush of unbidden gratitude towards her father. It was his insane idea that had led her to this point, and she had to admit that he had done the right thing.

"So now what?" she asked her companions.

"Well," Renji began thoughtfully, "I was thinking of heading up north. It's beautiful in the summer and I need to unload those herbs I bought. But, you know, I wouldn't be opposed to some company if you guys want to tag along." He grinned.

"I'll go wherever you want to go ojosama," Hanataro said with an exaggerated sigh. "After all, I am, 'loyal to a fault.'" Karin laughed and ruffled his hair.

"I think it sounds like fun!" Orihime chimed excitedly. "I wanna go!" Hitsugaya looked over at his new wife and shrugged.

"So what do you say?" he asked. They shared a deep, meaningful look and an adventurous smile grew across Karin's face.

"Let's do it!"

**The End**

**Wow, this is really bittersweet for me. This is my longest story by far and has taken me much much longer to post than any other story I've ever written. It's been almost a year! I can't believe it's finally over. I really want to thank all of you, my loyal readers, for sticking with me through it all and for always coming back for more. Without your amazing reviews, I don't know that I would have made it this far. Thanks for your support and maybe I'll be back…**

**I love you all! :D**


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